Somerset FA today announce our round of measures to assist our clubs next season with the extra burden presented by the Coronavirus outbreak and early conclusion of Grassroots Football last season. 

Grassroots football is worth £211m annually to Somerset in terms of econmic and social value, but to many players, referees, volunteers and spectators the sport is simply priceless. To protect this we’re going to play our ACE, a three-pronged package of support measures for all clubs in Somerset to help get you match fit, ready for 2020-21!

Affiliation: we are moving the affiliation window back to open on June 1st and our Board of Directors have agreed the level of discount we are offering; 100%, making affiliation FREE for all clubs for season 2020-21. As a County FA we want to ensure that as many of our clubs can re-affiliate ahead of football's resumption. By discounting the affiliation fee, we hope that clubs will be able to continue offering the high-quality sporting environment that so many players, referees, volunteers and spectators all enjoy.

Cups: as previously announced, County Cup entry for 2020-21 will be free of charge! This will ensure that any club who wishes can enter our prestigious competitions and for them to begin as soon as possible without burdening depleted club finances. County-wide, this represents over £7,500 that will remain with clubs.

Essentials: every club needs a suite of essentials to run, and to run well, and we're here to support you with these.

Firstly, we are retaining our subsidy of insurance purchased through Bluefin; we annually invest over £16,500 into our subsidy of these insurance policies. This subsidy is in addition to a reduction in the cost of next year’s premium directly from Bluefin. Both of these measures combined will reduce an average team premium by around 40%.

Secondly, we will be reopening our grants to cover team generation and club improvement as well as working closely with clubs to signpost them to additional funding from a variety of sources. Our dedicated team are on-hand to assist your club with your specific requirements.

Our range of partnerships can save your club money and also generate money! Check out our partners for more information. We're also committed to working with other partners including facilities and local authorities for the benefit of our clubs and leagues. 

Whilst only operating with a reduced team at the moment, we are still on-hand to help you with the challenges you are facing.

Ahead of the commencement of season 2020-21, our full team will be back to support yours.