FA Nat. ID 84060, FA Aff. no. T-SUF1005, Registered Charity no. 1162311
Mission Statement
Sporting 87 FC is a Christian club dedicated to playing football to the highest possible standards of competition, ability, and good conduct. The Club is committed to developing the Christian growth of its members and being an ambassador of Christ to those it meets.
Introduction to the Club
As the name suggests Sporting 87 FC was formed in 1987 to enable Christians to play football in an environment that would provide a strong and noticeable witness to the local football community. Since those early days over 20 years ago the Club has developed and progressed enormously into a popular and successful adult and youth FA Charter Standard Community Club (an award that acknowledges the most advanced level of club development and football provision). Sporting 87 FC has a tradition of playing football in the correct manner and within the spirit and laws of the game. As to be expected the Club assigns much importance to its beliefs, which translate into its three key themes of provision:
- Providing opportunity
- Playing with integrity
- Caring about everyone
Testimony to the quality of its provision the Club has won the Suffolk FA Charter Club of the Year Award, prestigious FA national awards for its Young Leaders Programme, and has had the honour of receiving two of only 150 FA National Awards for services to grassroots football (representing over 400,000 volunteers throughout the country). With opportunities for girls and boys up to U18 and three adults teams, the Club welcomes everyone, both Christians and non-Christians who share its values. Click on this admissions link to find out if we have a place for you or your child in one of our teams. Alternatively use these links to support us with a financial donation or through sponsorship.
Our Christian underpinning
The Club is run by a multi denomination Christian leadership and receives some funding from Christian based organisations. Although the Club was founded to principally enable Christians to play football in a positive and supportive environment, it is not exclusively for Christians and accepts players of any religion or of no faith at all. Members who don’t share the ‘beliefs’ of the Club are still very much expected to adhere to its values and ethos. The Club Chaplain, along with a team of pastors provides moral, spiritual and practical support to our members and visitors.
Christian values and ethos
Basic Christian values form the ethos and character of the Club. These values have been translated into the Club’s procedures, standards, rules, codes of conduct and development systems; each declaring what is held as important and what behaviour is deemed appropriate. Of course Christians do not hold exclusive rights to these values, which is why non-Christians that share them are welcome to join us. Our Club Chaplain and Football Pastors are the best people to explain what it means to be a Christian; what Christian aspirations are and how this affects our daily lives, but as a start to understanding the Club’s ethos, its: motto, themes of provision and mission statement can be considered.
Motto
“Witness through football”. Our behaviour when playing, coaching or administering football should be consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Themes of provision
1. “Providing opportunity” – each person is created as a very special individual possessing a vast spectrum of talents. Each has a right to discover and fulfil their God-given purposes in life and thereby exercise these talents. The Club endeavours to help its members fulfil their potential in every way it can.
2. “Playing with integrity” – correct to the laws of the game, with fairness and honesty. The FA RESPECT and fair-play initiatives are deemed by the Club as minimum standards in this respect, i.e. the Club also expects exemplary behaviour in terms of courtesy, politeness and friendliness.
3. “Caring about everyone” – valuing each individual, providing them with thoughtful, measured and appropriate football and personal development opportunities. Beyond the football context, this theme also includes having concern for general and spiritual well being and providing practical help where we can.
Football Phylosophy
Our overall values and ethos influence our football codes of conduct, coaching strategies and player development policies. We also deem our pastoral attitude as being a key influence on nurturing football talent, general wellbeing and lifeskills within players.
An example of a key policy is our Youth Equality and Opportunity Policy where the Club values every youth player equally, regardless of perceived ability, recognising their right to equal football education and playing experiences. Therefore each youth player is given equal choices and opportunities at training sessions and during competitive matches through a Position Rotation Plan. This policy also provides fairness and integrity in football provision for monies paid by players, and a method ofapplication of a long term player development model as favoured by the Club and the FA.
Specifically, each player must be afforded an equal amount of football coaching in terms of time and quality from their team manager over the course of a season. Over this period coaching must cover all aspects of the game and not focus on techniques and skills related to just a limited number of player positions. Also, players must be afforded an equal amount of match-play time over the course of a season. Over this period a player must have opportunities to experience all positions on the pitch; the goalkeeper position is optional as decided by the player. In each and every match a player must play at least one half. Rights afforded to players through this policy are only guaranteed upon adherence to Club Codes of Conduct by players and their parents, including giving their best effort and notice of planned absences from matches and training (at least 2 weeks). Players not attending training or matches, and not providing reasonable notice or a good reason why, may lose match time.
Access to elite level football sessions provided by the Academy of our partner Sporting Trust. The Academy is a school of football for players, young coaches and youths who wish to support the game at grass roots level. Our programmes and events are designed, managed and delivered to provide the most appropriate personal development experiences. Through an underpinning philosophy of motivating, challenging and satisfying the needs and wants of participants, we not only develop skills and knowledge but also key traits of high self confidence, high self esteem and original character.
The Club believes futsal to be the best tool for teaching football and a great game in its own right. Futsal gives you more: involvement, decisions, touches, pace in the game, and coaching attention (because of reduced player numbers and space). For younger players development is further enhanced through development games using more appropriate MiniFutsal™ formats, where we use Futebol de Salão size 2/3 balls on a smaller sized pitch with smaller goals. Through our coaching ethos and using futsal we create ‘independent’ players with enhanced: technique, vision, speed and agility, intelligence and mental resilience. (In 2012 Sporting 87 Educational Trust created its MiniFutsal™ formats of the game for children up to and including the U11 age group, and continues its development through Community and Academy sessions. The smaller pitch size forces the need for good technique, high agility and quick decision making in order to be successful; while a player’s physical size and stature are reduced in influence. A more equitable, challenging and enjoyable game for everyone results.)
Our key provision partner
The Club works in synergy with our partner organisation Sporting 87 Educational Trust to provide a ‘total football community service’. The Club is an FA Charter Standard Community club that also has Sport England Clubmark standards accreditation.
Committee & Executive
To contact a member of staff below visit our contact us page.
| Club Chairman (Voluntary) |
Club Vice Chairman & Director of Community (Voluntary) |
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| Dave Courteen | Ray Balmer | |
| “Footy quote” | “Footy quote” | |
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| Club Treasurer (Voluntary) |
Club Committee Member & Director of Administration |
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| Nigel Johnson | Linda Lancaster | |
| “Footy quote” | “Footy quote” | |
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| Club Youth Chairman (Voluntary)
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Club Secretary & Director of Football (Voluntary) |
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| Darren Brown MA ODEd | Jonathan Warnock | |
| “Footy is fun game for everyone to play, and a great game for everyone to learn from.” | “Hard work gains high standards.” | |
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| Club Committee Member & Welfare Officer (Voluntary) |
Club Committee Member & Chaplain (Voluntary) |
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| Amos Owen | Tim Banks | |
| “Footy quote” | “Footy quote” | |
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| Club Committee Member (Voluntary) |
Club Executive Committee Member (Voluntary) |
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| Ben Ryan | Graeme Thomas | |
| “Footy quote” | “Footy quote” | |
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| Club Kit & Equipment Manager & Fixtures Secretary |
Club Committee Member (Voluntary) |
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| Nathan Banks | Caroline Owen | |
| “My aim is to help players enjoy football so much they can’t wait for their next opportunity to play.” | “Footy quote” | |
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Youth Committee
In addition to the staff listed below that are detailed as part of the main Club Committee, the staff detailed in this table are members of the Youth Committee:
- Darren Brown, representitive of: Foundation (U6-U7), Primary (U8-U11) and Senior (U15-U16) Sections
- Jonathan Warnock
- Tim Banks
- Amos Owen
| Head of Girls (Voluntary) |
Junior Section (U12-U14) Representative (Voluntary) |
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| Lucy Miles | Richard Gedge | |
| “Teach the game to know the game.” | “Footy quote” | |
| FA licensed Level 2 (Technical) football coach
Education, experience and background: Primary school senior teaching assistant CRB/DBS cert no. E0451047975. |
FA licensed Level 1 football coach
Education, experience and background: . CRB/DBS cert no. xxxxxxxxxx. |
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| Junior Section (U12-U14) Representative (Voluntary) |
Junior Section (U12-U14) Representative (Voluntary) |
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| Blaine Peakall | Tim Whittingdale | |
| “Footy quote” | “Footy quote.” | |
| FA licensed Level 1 football coach
Education, experience and background: . CRB/DBS cert no. xxxxxxxxxx. |
FA licensed Level 1 football coach
Education, experience and background: . CRB/DBS cert no. xxxxxxxxxx. |
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| Transition Section (U17-18) Representative (Voluntary) |
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| Neil Van Holland | ||
| “A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.” | ||
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Staff
Where appropriate our staff have rigorous safeguarding and referencing checks to ensure they are able to work with children. Before placing anyone into a childcare position the following checks are performed:
- Identity
- Qualification verification
- Reference checks
- Barred List
- Criminal Records (DBS – FA enhanced 3 years)
- Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006
- Right to work in the UK
Our staff are voluntary.
| Match Day Assistant | Match Day Assistant | |
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| Donna Warnock | Sarah Flack | |
| Match Day Assistant | Match Day Assistant | |
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Photo Tim | |
| Nikki Brown | Tim Crawford | |
| Match Day Assistant | Match Day Assistant | |
| Linda Photo | ||
| Hazel Golding | Linda Lang | |
| Match Day Assistant | Match Day Assistant | |
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| Hazel Read | Bob Read |
Club honours
Sun Life Canada Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Club
1988-89 Steve Jarrold
1989-90 Cliff Jarrold
1990-91 Steve Jarrold
1991-92 John Chipping
1992-93 Robin & Daphne Hood
1993-94 Bob Read
1994-95 Graeme Thomas
1995-96 Tim Lovejoy
1996-97 Jonathan & Donna Warnock
1997-98 Danny Nunn
1998-99 Jim Herrington
1999-00 Bob Robinson
2000-01 Shaun Pettit
2001-02 Andy Kirk
2002-03 John Yuill
2003-04 Frank Drury
2004-05 Ian Goodchild
2005-06 David Taylor
2006-07 Mark Crawford
2007-08 Robin Millar
2008-09 Paul Stebbings
2009-10 Jonathan Warnock
2010-11 Darren Brown
2011-12 Alan Brafield
2012-13 Andy Berry
2013-14 Mark Crawford
2014-15 Donna Warnock
2015-16 Andy Filkins
2016-17 Sam Marsden
2017-18 Ian Goodchild
2018-19 Martin Burroughs