Want to join the L&C?
Does your club want to apply to become members of the Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur Football League?
We offer traditional men’s open age Saturday afternoon football to clubs within reach of the motorway network around the Manchester City Region (M60 / M56 / M62 / M66 / M67) to provide competitive football for all abilities, with reasonable travel distances and 100% match coverage by affiliated Match Officials.
Applications can be made at any time during the season with a deadline of 15th June each year, though late applications submitted before the League AGM in July may be considered at the discretion of the League Management Committee.
NO applications are considered until the Application Fee of £50 is paid, which is returnable if the club is NOT elected at the Annual General Meeting.
Newly-formed clubs are encouraged to contact the League as soon as possible so that we can advise on how to affiliate to your county FA, put all the necessary documents in place and walk you through the League membership application process.
Each application is assessed on it’s own merits, and clubs that are deemed to have the potential to meet League requirements will be invited to a Welcome Event, held in conjunction with Manchester FA.
Successful applicants are then proposed at the League’s Annual General Meeting for membership, where the League’s clubs vote to accept or reject applications.
Successful applicants will be placed by the League into the most appropriate Division for their level of competitiveness, working with the clubs themselves to help make a decision, and possibly using pre-season matches to help with the assessment.
Our League Programme usually starts on the first Saturday in September, although this is occasionally the last Saturday in August, and continues to early May. Fixtures are optional on Bank Holiday weekends.
The League aims to play ALL fixtures on Saturday afternoons, with midweek dates only being used when absolutely necessary.
The League also offers financial support where clubs hire third-party facilities during periods of bad weather to ensure that fixtures continue. There is also some flexibility allowed to provide ‘Free Saturdays’ where a club is aware that there is an issue with player availability on a given Saturday.
The League’s requirements for consideration can be separated into two parts:
ADMINISTRATION
– Clubs MUST be properly constituted, and must have in place a Club Constitution, a Committee structure in place, and be properly affiliated to a County FA.
– Within one year of joining the League, MUST have achieved FA Accreditation with at least one star.
FACILITIES / PITCH
– A formal agreement to access the facilities to enable a kick-off time between 1.00pm and 3.30pm.
– Emergency access on matchdays.
– Minimum pitch dimensions of 91m x 55m, with an optimum size of 100m x 64m.
– If the playing surface is grass, it should be flat, well drained, regularly cut and rolled with clear pitch markings.
– 3G or 4G artificial pitches are permitted, but these should be included on the FA Register of Artificial Pitches (https://footballfoundation.org.uk/3g-pitch-register) and have an in-date FA or FIFA assessment. Where a facility is not on this Register, the League will make a final decision as to whether the facility will be sanctioned for use.
– Pitch barriers, dug outs and marked technical areas are desirable, but not essential.
– Goal posts MUST comply with The FA safety standards for goalposts (https://www.thefa.com/get-involved/goalpost-safety), they must be safely installed and in good condition.
– Clubs MUST provide separate, secure, warm, well lit and clean dressing rooms, showers and wash basins for BOTH teams, plus separate changing facilities to accommodate THREE Match Officials.
– Access to Changing Rooms should be available for ONE HOUR before the scheduled kick-off time where possible, but a minimum of FORTY-FIVE MINUTES.
– Team Changing Rooms MUST accommodate a minimum of SIXTEEN players with a minimum of FOUR showerheads.
– A separate shower and wash basin is desirable for Match Officials.
– A sufficient number of male and female toilets MUST be available, and these may be shared.
– Adequate hot water for post-match showering is ESSENTIAL.
Full details can be found below of the League’s Facility Standards document and Application Form, please see the links below.
Clubs should be aware that the League will consider and assess all facilities, and where reasonable adjustments can be made and are agreed, may waive aspects of the facilities requirements.
All enquiries and applications should be addressed to secretary@landc.org.uk.