club affiliation

Club Affiliation

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You will need to complete your club's affiliation in Whole Game System prior to the new season commencing. Our team are on-hand to assist you if you encounter any issues or have any queries. You can begin the process using the button below to access WGS.

Access Whole Game to complete your club's affiliation

Get In Touch

Football Services Department

Discipline@somersetfa.com

01458 832 359 Option 1

07718 477 540

Q. What is Club Affiliation?

A. Clubs are required to affiliate each season. Affiliation is the process by which clubs "register" with their County FA, allowing them to play affiliated  football for the new season. It involves telling the County FA which teams you'll be running, which County Cups and leagues they will be entering, as well as the key officers and team officials involved in running your club.

Q. How will I know when I can start the affiliation process?

A. Your County FA will advise you of the date that they will invite clubs to register. Whilst in most cases you will be advised of this date by email, it may be advisable to also visit your County FA website for any updates. When your County FA has opened affiliation, you will see an "Affiliation Available" link on your Club Dashboard. When first opening, it may take your form a few minutes to populate depending on the number of teams in your club. The data is populated at this stage to ensure that the information in your affiliation form is as up-to-date as possible.

Q. I cannot remember my FA Number (FAN), where can I find it?

A. If you cannot remember your FAN to log into the Whole Game System Portal, please contact us, though you will probably be able to login using your email address.

Q. I know my FAN but cannot remember my FAN password, how can I reset this?

A. You can use the FA Password Reset function which can be accessed from here. Please read the instructions fully when using the password reset function.

Q. Can I do my Club Affiliation in stages?

A. You can complete your Club Affiliation in more than one session if you wish. Make sure you click on "Save Changes" as you work through the form, and if you leave it and come back later, the form will be saved at the stage you left it.

Q. How do I change my Club details?

A. The first step of affiliation asks you to confirm your club details are correct. If any of these need to be amended, click on the edit link (the pencil icon) and you can update and save your club details.

Q. Can I amend my Club Name?

A. No. you cannot amend your club name through the online affiliation form - if your club name, or legal status has changed, please contact us.

Q. What if my Club Legal Name is Blank?

A. Only clubs that are incorporated and therefore have a legal company name and number should provide these details. If your club is not incorporated (Members Club) then the Legal Name should be left blank.

Q. Do I have to enter a Club Sponsor?

A. The club sponsor should only be completed if you have a club sponsor confirmed for the following season.

Q. Which Club Officers must I provide?

A. Every club must provide a Secretary, Chairman and Treasurer, and clubs which are running an U18 team or younger must provide the details of the Club Welfare Officer.

Q. What are the requirements for a Club Welfare Officer?

A. Every club which runs an U18 team or younger must have a Club Welfare Officer. To nominate an individual as a Club Welfare Officer, the person must have an in date accepted DBS Enhanced FA CRC Check. In addition, they must either have already attended a Safeguarding Workshop and a Welfare Officer Workshop, or you must arrange a "County Action Plan" with your County Welfare Officer to ensure the individual attends these workshops.

Q. What do I do if I can’t find a person to add to a role?

A. The Club Affiliation form only allows you to assign roles to people who are already recorded as being associated with your club, or to search for them using the "Add Member" option. If you wish to add a role to someone who does not appear on the Club Affiliation form and cannot be found using "Add Member", please contact us and we will be able to add them to your club.

Q. Can I update my Club Grounds?

A. Yes, you can now update your Clubs Grounds via the Club Affiliation form, using the option to search for a ground which will access the Football Foundation's Pitchfinder database of grounds.

Q. Do I need to review all of my teams?

A. Yes, although the Club Affiliation form will present you with a pre-populated set of teams (based on projecting last season's teams) you will need to check each team, ensuring their league and cup entries are correct, and ensuring any managers and coaches are added for the teams.

Q. How do I remove a Team?

A. If you need to remove a team (i.e. report that it won't be running next season) then uncheck the "active" box next to the team. When your affiliation form is processed, this team will be discontinued.

Q. What is a Team Suffix?

A. The team suffix is part of the Team Name, and is used to differentiate teams of the same age group and gender within a club. E.g. if a club has two U12 boys teams, it could add the suffixes red and blue to the two teams. The suffix is added after the Club Name and the age group (if relevant). E.g. Wembley U12 "Blue" or Wembley U12 "Red". A team suffix for an open-aged team called "Firsts" would mean the team is called "Wembley Firsts".

Q. Do I need to check Leagues for each of my teams?

A. Yes, although each team will normally be entered in the same league as the previous season, you should make sure teams are in the correct league, or this will cause problems when your league is sanctioned.

Q. Which County Cups can I enter?

A. When you select the dropdown list of County Cups, you will only be offered the cups for which the team concerned is eligible. Please contact us should you require further assistance.

Q. Am I required to assign named Managers and Coaches to Teams?

A. All teams aged U18 and below are now required to have either a manager or coach named, and these individuals must have an accepted in-date (less than three years) DBS Enhanced FA CRC Check at the time of nomination. You may also nominate assistant managers and assistant coaches. Note that one individual cannot be nominated as the main manager/coach for more than four teams. For more details, please contact us.

Q. When are Managers and Coaches required to have a CRC check?

A. From 1st September 2015, all managers and coaches of teams aged U18 and below, are required to have an accepted "in-date" (within three years) DBS Enhanced FA CRC Check, to be nominated for their team.

Q. When should I add “Mixed” as a team gender?

A. “Mixed” can only be added for teams at U18 and younger, and should only be recorded when a team will be comprised of boys and girls.

Q. Do I have to provide details of Public Liability Insurance (also known as Legal Liability Insurance)?

A. Public Liability Insurance (which covers the club against Third Party claims) is mandatory for all clubs, and you either have to provide evidence you have purchased it for the coming season within the Club Affiliation Form, or purchase it from your County FA as part of the affiliation process. For more information, please contact us.

Q. Do I have to provide details of Personal Accident Insurance?

A. Personal Accident Insurance (which covers players against injury) is mandatory for all teams and you either have to provide evidence you have purchased it for the coming season within the Club Affiliation Form, or confirm that you will purchase it prior to 1st July. For more information, please contact us.

Q. What happens when I submit my Club Affiliation Form?

A. When you click on "Submit for Approval" the Whole Game System will first check that you have not made any obvious errors in your Club Affiliation form (e.g. declared you wish to buy Public Liability Insurance from your County FA, and then not purchased the appropriate product) and then the form will be sent to your County FA, who will review it and ensure it is correct (e.g. if you have uploaded an insurance certificate, they will ensure it is valid). Once it has been submitted, you cannot amend any of the details within the Affiliation form.

Q. Do I have to pay my Club Affiliation Fee Immediately?

A. We will not ask clubs to pay their affiliation immediately, and will review your affiliation application before invoicing you. You can choose to pay your Club Affiliation Fee any time once the invoice has been generated, but note that your affiliation will not be completed until it has been paid. You may have a late fee added if you do not pay your Club Affiliation Fee by the date required.

Q. I don’t like giving my credit/debit card details online – is there an alternative?

A. Yes, you can download your invoice. Please contact us, we can advise other payment options.

Q. What credit/debit cards are acceptable?

A. You will be able to use all leading credit and debit cards. Please note that American Express is not accepted.

Further Guidance

For further assistance and an interactive video guide, please visit the Whole Game System Club Affiliation Help page.

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Rules and Regulations

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  • Laws of the Game
  • Discipline
  • Safeguarding & Welfare
  • Inclusion