We are a not-for-profit group of junior football clubs that have come together to give our children the best possible start in football. Our League is leading the way in fully implementing The FA’s vision for children’s football and our whole approach is more child-centred and age-appropriate than traditional Leagues. We give children the ideal environment to accelerate their learning. The FA have awarded us Charter Standard status and we’ve won the coveted Bronze Award as the best League in the whole county. Format: Younger children progress through 5v5 and 7v7 to 9v9 getting many more touches of the ball. Less shouting, more learning: The FA is clear that children’s football is not entertainment for adults. The pitch is a classroom and, while parents are welcome to watch, they will be asked to step back, calm down and stop shouting instructions. Children learn by making their own mistakes, so the more adult ‘help’ they get the less they actually learn. Playing to learn: Results will not be important – it will all be about learning and child development. So there are no league tables. Why our League was set up… Traditional Leagues allow a wall of noise from spectators and a constant stream of instructions from coaches, stopping players from learning. They reduce competition by encouraging uneven, one-sided ‘A’ teams. Their emphasis on results causes adults to pick their ‘best’ team so the substitutes don’t get a chance. Kids are forced to play in their ‘best’ position so they don’t develop as footballers. Our League is the opposite: it was set up to pioneer The FA’s vision for progressive junior football.