Important Message from our COVID-19 Officer

Hello Everyone, 

I hope this finds you well. Farnborough Sports Club and Farnborough Football Club welcome the return of grassroots football shortly. We have been meeting and liaising with each other to ensure a safe return to football from Saturday August 1^st.

I, Paul Parsons, have been nominated the COVID 19 Officer for the club and you will need to be aware of a number of changes before you kick a ball in earnest.

All managers must read the guidance. Please respond to me so that I know you have read this email in full. You must make sure that all players are aware of our new policies and procedures prior to commencing a game.

You will notice a number of changes within the club, so that social distancing is adhered to and also so that all staff, both paid and voluntary, feel safe to keep our facility open as much as is possible. This will also mean that we are fully insured, please do not be the person who does not read the whole email and then invalidates our insurance...

We set out a number of changes, firstly within the club and then latterly some of the FA Guidance which can also be found in full, here;

http://www.kentfa.com/covid-19-support-and-guidance

 Within the club and grounds;

Please adhere to up to date government guidelines at all times here;

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Please DO NOT visit our club if you have the following symptoms;

A high temperature (above 37.8o C)

A new continuous cough.

Shortness of breath.

A sore throat.

Loss of, or change in normal sense of taste or smell.

Feeling generally unwell.

Been in close contact with/living with, a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past two weeks

Please Self Assess your health each time you visit our club. If in doubt, do not visit.

• Please ensure you park a vehicle in a socially distanced way and please DO NOT share lifts with players outside your own household or ‘bubble’.  Please try to avoid public transport if possible.
• ALL CLUB MEMBERS AND VISITORS MUST SIGN IN and give a contact number or be representing named visitors as part of a bubble
• The main entrance to the clubhouse is now from the rear and is marked – please DO NOT use the former main entrance, this is to be used by STAFF ONLY
• Please use the hand sanitiser provided on entering the building
• A strict one way system is in place within the clubhouse, please make yourself aware of the new routes – exiting through the double doors only
• Only 6 people maximum to use the changing rooms at any one time
• Male toilet facilities are only available from the changing room entrance at the rear of the clubhouse – EXIT ONLY via the bar area
• Female toilet facilities remain the same and can be accessed by the bar area.
• NO SHOWER facilities will be available until further notice
• If you require a drink before/after the game – please LINE UP by the kitchen area, behind the marked lines and WAIT to be called by the bar staff serving. Please DO NOT enter the marked square in front of the bar FOR ANY REASON unless asked to by the bar staff.
• Contactless payments ONLY at the bar
• For your safety, cleaning of handles/light switches and high touch areas of the club will be completed on a more regular basis throughout the day

Please note additional restrictions in place during the first few friendlies;

• There will be no group gatherings of any type, inside the clubhouse function area allowed
• You MUST NOT use or move any furniture within the clubhouse unless asked to do so by a COVID 19 representative or member of bar staff
• Only the changing rooms and associated toilets will be open, there will be no further access to the bar before the game commences
• Female toilet facilities will be provided by The Woodman Pub ONLY prior to a game
• A marquee has been provided for groups to meet in a socially distanced way.

As managers you need to know the FA have certain stipulations that must be adhered to for a game of football to safely go ahead. Also, referees will be limiting their responsibility and will place certain emphasis on the managers and club to adhere to the new guidelines. As a Sports Club and Football Club, we too must make sure that we mitigate the risk of infection.

• No chewing gum
• No spitting
• Please bring your own marked water bottle
• You will need to provide your own assistant flags
• When possible, you will need to disinfect the football when it is out of play
• Additional PPE and spray will be provided as part of the First Aid Kit.
• You will need to clean the goal posts at half time
• There will be NO shower facilities on the day

http://www.kentfa.com/covid-19-support-and-guidance

Finally, we have updated our COVID-19 risk assessment policy which can be viewed as a PDF HERE.

If you have any questions do please ask one of the COVID committee for advice at a local level, in the first instance please contact myself.

Keep well

Stay well

Play well.

Take care everyone,

Paul Parsons

Covid-19 Officer and Fixture Secretary

FOBG Awarded Reopening Preparation Grant

We have been awarded a grant of £500 to help us safely reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Football Foundation.

This is a fantastic boost to our efforts to provide the safest possible conditions for using the clubhouse and grounds as and when government and FA guidelines allow.

Many thanks to Matt Ellis and Luke Johnson for  securing the funding.

Full details are in our press release which can be viewed HERE.

Dan Dare's real identity finally revealed!

The New Season Dawns

Season 2020-21 is nearly upon us.

We play our first pre-season friendlies this weekend.  Attendance is limited to players and coaches because of COVID-19.

FOBG Football Club AGM - Monday 10 August

Farnborough OBG Football Club

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

MONDAY 10 AUGUST 2020, 8.15pm

At FARNBOROUGH (KENT) SPORTS CLUB

Farrow Fields, High Street, Farnborough, Kent BR6 7BA

Notice is hereby given that the Football Club Annual General Meeting will be held at :

FARNBOROUGH ( KENT) SPORTS CLUB

Farrow Fields, High Street, Farnborough,

Kent BR6 7BA on Monday 10 August 2020. Starting at 8.15pm.

AGENDA

1. Minutes of last AGM

2, Matters arising

3. Hon. Secretary’s report

4. Hon Treasurer’s report

5. Rule changes

6. Election of officers

7. Fixture programme 2020-21

All welcome; all playing members should attend this meeting.

Proposed management committee for season 2020-21 for election

HON. PRESIDENT:  IAN COUCHMAN

HON. CHAIRMAN:  DANNY SAINES

HON. SECRETARY:  Vacant

ACTING HON. SECRETARY (Kent County League):  IAN COUCHMAN

ACTING HON. SECRETARY (Bromley and South London League):  JEZ ALLEN

HON. SECRETARY (OBDSFL):  BRETT COX

HON. TREASURER: Vacant

HON. FIXTURE SECRETARY:  PAUL PARSONS

HON. IT OFFICER:  COLIN BRAZIER

HON. MINUTES SECRETARY:  JORDAN GLEN

HON. SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER:  JORDAN GLEN

CHARTER STANDARD:  Vacant

CLUB CAPTAIN:  ALEX BARNES

CLUB WELFARE OFFICER: CHRIS MURRAY

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

As club officers and team managers, plus committee members to be (re-)elected:

Des Fallon, Jordan Glen, Craig Ralph, Paul Tanton.

PROPOSED TEAM MANAGERS 2020-21

First Eleven:  Luke Johnson (Assistant: Mark Warner)

Reserves:  Nick Pitt

Third Eleven:  Paul Eddleston

Fourth Eleven:  Jez Allen

Sunday Eleven:  Vince Wray (Assistant: Tony Kemp)

Sunday Reserves:  Matt Ellis

Vets:  Damien Preston and Mark Harrington

Senior Vets:  Mick O'Flynn

Saturday Soccer Academy Returns

Mark Warner Appointed as First XI Assistant Manager

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Warner as Assistant Manager to Luke Johnson for the First XI in succession to Colin Patching.

Mark arrives from K Sports FC with an excellent footballing CV, having had positions with Sevenoaks Town FC (Reserves manager / coach) and Metrogas FC (First XI manager / coach) prior to his time as K Sports Reserves manager.

Welcome to the Guild, Mark!

Enamel Badges

We have a new supply of FOBG enamel badges @ £3.50 each including postage.

Email the club at mailbox@fobgfc.org  if you would like to place an order.

Jazz at FOBG suspended

The Friday night jazz will not be running until further notice.

Our Social Media

As well as our website, we have an official presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.  In addition, most of our nine teams have their own Twitter accounts.

FOBG has held FA Charter Standard Adult Club status for several years now. This is official recognition by the Football Association given to non-league clubs that have demonstrated that they are well run and sustainable. It also recognises the club's commitment to coaching, player and coach development, and the raising of standards of behaviour in the game.
The benefits of having Charter Standard status include:

• Use of the FA Charter Standard Logo
• Enhancement of funding applications and bids
• Kit and equipment grants from the Football Foundation
• Exclusive workshops
• Starter pack, including posters, codes of conduct, certificates

This represents a major step forward in the development of Farnborough OBG FC and illustrates the ambitions of the club to develop further both on and off the field.

Many thanks to Malcolm Poynter for his hard work in achieving this recognition for the club.