Author: afcunity

by Sam Clewarth

AFC Unity’s innovative new programme, Solidarity Soccer, commenced on May 9th and proved to be a great success.

This opening session provided a very welcoming atmosphere for new faces who were looking to get involved at the club and provided a friendly, beneficial training session which focused on the importance of passing.

Passing is arguably the most vital aspect of football, particularly for AFC Unity, who take pride in an entertaining, passing style. In addition to this, the focus on passing demonstrates the importance of teamwork at the club, with everybody being involved on the pitch. As seen with Leicester City this season, a club with excellent togetherness and team spirit can achieve greater things than teams with outstanding individuals but no chemistry.

Once everyone was introduced, the session began with a simple passing exercise so that the players could get to grips with the basics of passing from various ranges. This exercise was followed by some ‘Keep Ball’, in which 3 players would try and retain possession from 3 opponents. This gave the women an opportunity to use the skills they had just learnt in a scenario that would be similar to a match in which they would not have much time in possession. Following this exercise, the session ended with a 3 vs 3 match which incorporated the skills gained from the previous exercise, and the results were excellent as everybody seemed very comfortable with passing the ball while being pressed by the opposition.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMDEt2g-9bk]

Also in Solidarity Soccer sessions, a new skill is taught each month. This month, the ‘Cruyff Turn’ was the chosen skill, and the first session signaled the initial practice.

The move made famous by Johan Cruyff is iconic in football today. Instead of kicking the ball, he would drag the ball behind his planted foot with the inside of his crossing foot, turn through 180 degrees, and would burst away from his man. After a couple of demonstrations everyone managed to perform a Cruyff Turn, and one was even performed in the match at the end!

Overall the session was a huge success. Everyone had developed their passing skills, but more importantly everyone enjoyed the session and enjoyed working with each other. The importance of togetherness is a crucial aspect of the club’s ethos, therefore it was brilliant to see the players connecting so well with each other.

If you are interesting in taking part our Solidarity Soccer programme, sessions are on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Everyone is welcome, so feel free to get in touch and come along! For more information click on Solidarity Soccer, and to see what the sessions are like, feel free to watch for clips from the sessions on our Twitter: @AFCUnity

Sam Clewarth will continue to document Solidarity Soccer through our “Tech and Tekkers” initiative – check this site and our social media for both his reports and videos!

We’re often asked, since we call ourselves an “alternative football club” for women, what makes us such a thing? What makes us so different to our peers? Here are ten things that make us an alternative football club:

1. We’re a social enterprise.

The social enterprise business model means we can be more professional in our approach, but are still a not-for-profit organisation.

What often separates grassroots from professional football is the legal structure of the organisation: most grassroots clubs are unincorporated associations, barely subject to regulations and lacking a business plan, while professional clubs are profit-driven, focused on return on investment for shareholders. AFC Unity occupy the middle ground – fitting for a club that’s quickly expanding yet has no desire to join the “dog-eat-dog” culture of money-dominated professional or semi-professional football. AFC Unity’s articles of association mean that, although we’re a limited company, all proceeds must go right back into the club, and we are subject to scrutiny from HMRC and Companies House.

2. We’re just for women.

Most women’s teams are attached to an established men’s club – at grassroots, and in professional football. This often means that women are an afterthought or, sometimes, utilised to bring in funding as women’s football becomes a bigger priority for governing bodies (although not all the funding reaches the women’s teams in these male-dominated clubs!) AFC Unity is entirely focused on, and dedicated to, women’s football, reflecting its feminist values, commitment to female empowerment, and passion for equality. Although this makes us almost always the underdogs, we prefer it that way.

3. We’re run by women.

As a social enterprise, the organisation is run by a Board of Directors – and all of ours are women. With backgrounds in governance, community and football, these directors of the board oversee the running of the organisation, and understand the importance of AFC Unity’s commitment to women’s football.

4. Our manager’s a feminist.

Despite the manager being a man, he’s a lifelong feminist, with years of experience of campaigning for women’s rights and working with disadvantaged communities. With this background in community work, Jay Baker draws on this knowledge far more than traditional football coaching, in order to develop a unique football philosophy.

5. We have our own football philosophy.

The football itself reflects the ethos of the club: unique individuality within a collective working together for the greater good, with 100% positivity. You can find out more here.

6. We buy Fair Trade.

As evidenced by the Indonesian sweatshops of Nike, and the recent Sports Direct scandal, so much sportwear and equipment is unethical, we tried to make our resources reflect our own ethics. Toga Sports, who created our personalised kits, stress the ethics of their production, while our balls, from Senda Athletics and now Bala Sport, are certified Fair Trade.

With this approach, we’re hoping other football clubs will follow in using products that are locally and/or ethically made so that we resist exploitation of all kinds, and as football clubs do our bit to contribute towards helping make ours a better world.

We’re constantly seeking to further source ethical produce and materials for as much of our training resources as possible – so let us know if you think we can do even better!

7. We measure results differently.

With our league results in two seasons already exceeding expectations, you can be forgiven for assuming we’re all about winning. The irony is that our measure of success is through the good we have done as a whole – collecting 339kg of food contributions for local food banks, offering wider opportunities for women of all backgrounds and skill levels, and greater player pathways thus engaging hundreds of women in our first two years alone.

8. Our brand.

Since we’ve been against the odds as an indie women’s football club, we’ve relied on our ever-increasing brand awareness for reaching people who might not usually find out about us; when people see our logo or our posters, they recognise us pretty instantly.

9. Our allies.

Anything different always provides a culture shock for established institutions based on the status quo. Despite this, AFC Unity have enjoyed the support of funding bodies and organisations such as South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation and South Yorkshire Sport. Beyond this, we have been able to connect with likeminded clubs: Easton Cowgirls, Republica Internationale, United Glasgow and Yorkshire St Pauli are just some of the examples of the clubs with whom we enjoy a healthy relationship.

10. We’re entertaining.

The Football Philosophy mentioned earlier means our playing style is designed to be positive, pro-active, attacking and exciting. On the pitch, we do our best to represent women’s football as best we can, to attract more and more people to the game.

AFC Unity are seeking a Head Coach to lead its second team, the AFC Unity Jets, into the 2016/17 season.

As part of our rapidly-expanding organisation, the AFC Unity Jets Head Coach will play a key part in upholding the values of an alternative football club, empowering women, doing good in the community, and having a positive influence on the sport and society.

This is a voluntary role that may suit an individual with a background in youth and community work eager to build on an interest in grassroots football; no football qualifications or experience necessary – just positivity and a passion for football, feminism, and social justice. The applicant will have an understanding and commitment towards the ethos of AFC Unity and its Football Philosophy.

The role will involve:

• Initial shadowing of the first team manager.
• Understanding player pathways from the Solidarity Soccer programme, through the second and into the first team.
• Liaison with the first team manager, Director of Football, and the Board of Directors.
• Delivering training sessions in accordance with the AFC Unity Football Philosophy.
• Leading the coordination of Sunday league matches.
• Developing players in accordance with their individual aims and those of the teams.
• A commitment to Monday evenings and Sunday afternoons.

Those interested should email afcunity<at>gmail<dot>com requesting an application form. Deadline for applications is now w/c 20/06/16, and those successful will be invited to a semi-formal interview process.

The successful applicant is now expected to be announced the weekend of 01/07/16 and will be ready to start by w/c 04/07/16.

 

[Edited 13/06/16]

Having hung up the boots for the last time at the end of our second season, 2015/16 AFC Unity Solidarity Award winner and 2015/16 AFC Unity Collective Award winner Sarah Richards is now taking on a fresh challenge with the organisation she joined at its early stages.

This past Sunday – to pay homage to the years of dedication to women’s grassroots football she has provided, across Sheffield and South Yorkshire – we held The Sarah Richards Testimonial. As per her wishes, the event raised food donations for our expanded Football for Food project, which were contributed to Sheffield Food Collective and the food banks they work with to alleviate food poverty in the city.

The match featured “Red Stars” past and present, and several special guest players, including the league’s top goalscorer of the season, Natasha Carlton, from Mexborough Athletic, in addition to AFC Unity Chair Olivia Murray, AFC Unity originals Kim Best and Sandy Yere, former AFC Unity sports psychologists Roshini Prince-Navaratnam and Anna Pickering, and ex-Dronfield Town and Manchester City player Simone Jarvis, to name just a few.

In typical end-to-end, high scoring AFC Unity fashion, the side captained by Sarah Richards won 5-4 over Shanie Donohue’s team in a match that featured thrills and spills, offbeat shenanigans, and, quite often, hilarity. And some excellent football. Only one negative was the unfortunate removal from the match of young Emily Salvin, who suffered an almost identical knee dislocation injury to Sarah’s from her first AFC Unity season, recovering to complete the second season and finish her playing days on her own terms.

It was confirmed on the day that the much-needed newly-devised role of AFC Unity’s Director of Football would be adopted by Sarah Richards herself. Utilising her vast experience and networks, as well as her passion for AFC Unity, the position will involve feedback from training sessions, scouting and recruitment, raising the profile of, and funds for, the organisation, and liaising with project partners both in football and in the community.

In footballing tradition, she will also be an excellent link for the Board of Directors and Manager, Jay Baker, who said ‘As a rapidly-expanding and increasingly professional yet alternative football club, the Director of Football role is perfect for AFC Unity, and the right person has come along at the right time to fill such a position!’ Sarah added: ‘My aim as Director of Football is to continue to raise the profile of AFC Unity and develop the existing excellent structure of the club! I’m very excited to get started and I’m proud to be involved and to continue to represent AFC Unity!’

On the 9th of May we will be launching our NEW Solidarity Soccer programme, which will be replacing our Development programme that has been running at Hillsborough College for the last year.

Our Solidarity Soccer sessions will take place at Hillsborough College on Monday evenings and Concord Sports Centre on Tuesday evenings (the Tuesday sessions will start on the 10th of May).

Our Solidarity Soccer programme is about showing how football can reflect life, that it can be a positive force for change and help people learn valuable life lessons and apply these in other contexts. Football can be a force for good, increasing confidence in life and interpersonal skills and body image, improving health and fitness whilst breaking down barriers and divisions that exist in society.

Key aspects of the new programme include:

• It will be delivered in reference to our club’s alternative coaching style, which you can read about here!
• There will be a theme for each training session e.g. passing, which we will focus on through different exercises and explore why it is important in football, the techniques utilised (e.g. the different techniques of passing a ball) with an emphasis on there being no such thing as a stupid question (no matter how long you have played football, there is always something new to learn)!
• We will have a strong digital focus to the training sessions, with us using social media and video technology (tablets, GoPros etc) to make the sessions more digitally interactive and hopefully even more engaging and rewarding!
• We will have digital based awards that we will send out via email to different people taking part in the sessions each month, and – with permission – share online, reflecting on the progress and achievements people make in different ways!
• It will involve our new Tech and Tekkers training exercise as part of the training sessions, where each month we will focus on learning a football skill that we will practice each week, with tech being used to document the learning process and share online – on that note, if there are any skills you want to learn (no matter how basic or complex they are) then let us know and we can look at teaching these (making no promises on the complex skills though)!
• The new programme is about us demonstrating how football can tie into other non-football things going on in our life and how it can be a positive force for change – therefore we also ask everyone that engages on this programme to state one personalised life goal, so something that you want to achieve no matter how big or small and it doesn’t have to be to do with football, but it can be if you want! We will then look at if and how AFC Unity can help you meet this goal, whether that’s through the session or outside of the session! It can be as random as you like, we’re sure in most cases we will be able to help.

In sum, the new programme is focused on non-competitive training as our competitive options are expanding in the club, so we want to focus these sessions on engaging women who are new to the sport, want to give the sport a try, or who are wanting to build back confidence, skills, fitness etc., exploring key concepts in football and also connecting it to digital technology and wider life goals that we may have.

If you want to get involved in these training sessions, please get in touch so we can provide more information and we are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Finally, and most importantly, thank you to South Yorkshire Sport who have been invaluable in supporting our development of this programme.

Given the incredible success and fast expansion of AFC Unity which has seen its two years old 11-a-side team exceed expectations, we are excited to announce the launch of an additional 11-a-side team: the AFC Unity Jets.

In-keeping with AFC Unity’s dedication to women’s football and the empowerment of women, the name came about in reference to the suffragettes – ‘jets for short!

‘Given our high retention rates and our previous difficulties in meeting demand – and the breakaway success of the first team – the creation of the AFC Unity Jets provides an appropriate pathway for women wanting to get into competitive affiliated league football, without the increasingly high expectations of the first team,’ said AFC Unity manager Jay Baker.

‘Despite our ever-present challenges of having no affiliation to an established men’s team – with raising funds extremely difficult – we are confident that given our success so far as an indie women’s football club, we’ll be able to deliver a project that will be fun yet also provide development for women not yet ready for the pressures of the first team – as they now become ambassadors for the organisation as a whole,’ Baker added.

The AFC Unity Jets are expected to take off in the summer, and follow their first team “sisters” into the Sheffield & Hallamshire Women’s County Football League for the upcoming 2016/17 season.

A manager of the AFC Unity Jets will be appointed in the near future.

As mentioned previously, original Red Star and 2015/16 Collective Award and 2015/16 Solidarity Award winner, Sarah Richards, has hung up the boots after years of football across South Yorkshire, finishing her playing days with the last two seasons at AFC Unity – the club’s first ever two seasons.

To celebrate her long-standing contributions to grassroots football and to AFC Unity, we are holding a special testimonial match at 2pm on Sunday, 15th of May, 2016, at our home ground of Hillsborough College sports complex. As per Sarah’s wishes – given her involvement in her local community – the event will also serve as part of the expanded Football for Food project’s donation drive for people to contribute food for local food banks such as the one in Sarah’s own community.

The testimonial match will be internal – meaning it will be comprised entirely of AFC Unity personnel – and is bound to be a fun and unpredictable event to mark an occasion that sets the precedent of AFC Unity celebrating and honouring the commitment and contribution from one of the very original Red Stars of the club.

After the testimonial, Sarah’s number 4 shirt will be retired, and there will be an announcement on the next chapter of her valued involvement with AFC Unity!

When promoting the testimonial, AFC Unity ask supporters to use the hashtag #ThankYouSarah on social media – whether you’re an old teammate of hers from a different club, a friend, and family member, or a player who has good stories to tell, we want to see it!

Written by Jane Watkinson

After our club’s first ever season ended in 2015, I was asked to take part in the Social and Political Thought MA dissertation research by Chris Webster – a leading member of Yorkshire St. Pauli – on alternative football clubs and assessing their potential for social change.

I was interviewed given my role as co-founder and captain of AFC Unity, given it is an alternative football club for women creating and providing an alternative football environment (for more on why we are an alternative football club, check out our vision, values and mission statement here!)

For me, the key point of Chris’s findings was that, as an alternative club, it should be more than just providing an escape – so an alternative environment based on fairness, equality, unity, hope not fear, anti-discrimination, anti-bullying, 100% positivity and empowerment, which are all central to shaping AFC Unity’s environment at trainings, games and club events – an alternative club should also try and change things around it as well.

It is important that what happens within the club environment is consistent with the ethos and alternative thinking and beliefs shaping it. That’s why we have an alternative coaching philosophy – it emphasises the importance of respect, empowerment and positivity alongside encouraging individual creativity and expression but not at the expense of the whole.

Our Football for Food campaign – where we collect food via the club to help local food banks via Sheffield Food Collective and raise awareness of the reasons for why food banks exist increasingly at the rate they are doing – is an example of how the club is a tool for social change, with human agency/action in line with the vision and values at the centre of the club.

When I played football as a child, the primal focus of it was to have fun; to enjoy it and be creative. But something happens to a lot of keen footballers when they grow up (it happened to me!) as they come into contact with different environments where there is more pressure, focus on commercialisation, and less acceptance of unique and diverse football styles and talent.

At AFC Unity, we want to get back to creating that fun, non-pressurised environment that you associate with when you were younger, but also showing how powerful football can be as a tool for social change, and that the way you play football and act on and off the pitch can have a huge impact on those around you in your local community. This is something Chris talks about in his dissertation when looking at things such as ‘jumpers for goalposts’ and how this can be a powerful way to reclaim the sport, our community and our public space.

As Chris discusses, football provides the opportunity to have conversations with people and groups that you might never have met otherwise – and thus is a powerful way of linking micro and macro politics and helping the alternative vision of the club permeate the actions and agency of those within and outside the club.

For a more detailed, critical and theoretical consideration of these issues please check out Chris Webster’s dissertation, which can be accessed here. It is very good! Oh and also, if you are in Leeds or nearby check out Yorkshire St Pauli’s football sessions – you can ask Chris some follow-up questions about his dissertation as well:

 

After only our second ever season, AFC Unity consolidated our position in Division Two by finishing – after a goal drought and brief break – with two spectacular victories.

Against a Sheffield Wednesday Development team with nine players, our Red Stars put an unprecedented thirteen goals past the Owls, winning 13-1 on March 13th to achieve the biggest victory in AFC Unity’s history.

One week later, on March 20th, it was 9-1 against ten-player New Bohemians.

The following night at The Circle – AFC Unity’s registered office – saw our official Awards Night, honouring players and other personnel, from volunteers to coaches, as well as the launch of our expanded Football for Food project now that home league games are over.

And the Awards Night saw not only a talk from Nick Waterfield from Parson Cross Initiative – one of the food bank bases benefiting from Football for Food this season – but players contributing food donations one more time to mark the kick-off of the expansion project, which, as co-founder Jane Watkinson announced, will see a series of events take place to raise not funds but food.

Given Unity is an “alternative football club,” the awards and their titles were given a little twist on tradition.

Midfielder/forward Jodean Wadsworth was awarded the Hope Over Fear Award by manager Jay Baker, who had until that point resisted picking out a single player. But since AFC Unity have been regarded underdogs for so long, this – it was explained – was for the underdog of the team who throughout the season turned negatives into positives and demonstrated faith in the manager’s vision. Baker told of how Jo had rapidly risen through the ranks, from the Development programme, into the first team, scoring two goals in her debut in a pre-season friendly, and overcoming challenges through the whole season.

Players themselves had the opportunity to vote for their own player of the season, and after the vote count had ended, midfielder and top goalscorer Shanie Donohue had emerged as the clear winner. Keeping in mind factors such as attitude, ability and attendance while representing the club well, Shanie was chosen by her teammates and captain Jane Watkinson presented this award, speaking on behalf of the team to praise Donohue and and announce her as vice-captain for next season following the retirement of previous vice-captain Sarah Richards.

Defensive player Sophie Thomas was picked for first team coach Olivia Murray’s Breakout Award, for notable improvement throughout the season as what Olivia called ‘an unsung hero.’ Factors such as development in physical, psychological, technical and social areas were all taken into consideration in Murray’s selection.

Supporters and volunteers from around the club had the chance to pick their own player of the season for efforts on and off the pitch, and this one went to Sarah Richards. Appropriate, then, that the award was presented by Nick Waterfield from Parson Cross Initiative, which had been visited and promoted by Richards over the season to raise awareness of their efforts to tackle food poverty. ‘The ITV Calendar interview clinched it,’ joked a modest Sarah.

Charlotte Marshall – who came into AFC Unity as a volunteer via the Venture Matrix programme at Sheffield Hallam University, being a director as well as a welfare champion and player – earned herself the Integrity Award for standing up for the club’s ethos and making difficult decisions in tough times, showing a commitment and dedication to setting a positive example to others.

Sarah Richards, who had joined AFC Unity early on, as well as first team coach Olivia Murray and Development coach Jonny Hodgson, were all presented with prestigious Solidarity Awards as selected by management and the Board of Directors.

Sarah, who recently announced she was hanging up the boots, had played for several teams before taking a break, only to get back into action via AFC Unity, quickly making an impression enough to become vice-captain and even making the bold claim that if AFC Unity had existed when she was younger, she’d have likely stayed at the club permanently.

Olivia was recovering from a serious injury in high-level football when she joined AFC Unity. Being an assistant coach in the first season, she became first team coach for Unity’s second season and eventually moved on to the Board of Directors, where she now remains as Chair despite moving on from coaching.

Jonny is also moving on, but was the very first coach AFC Unity had – so crucial was this initial voluntary position, the co-founders stated that the club would not exist as we know it without his involvement from the beginning. He eventually moved into the paid role of Head Coach of Development, a programme which has seen several players progress into affiliated football.

Volunteers were also presented with certificates for their time and efforts, and manager Jay Baker honoured each and every player, presenting them with Red Star Awards, and noting, ‘As of this night, we’re the only team with not one, not two, but three players in the top ten goalscorers of Division Two – because we work together as a team, and everything is a team effort, and our attacking style means goals can come from anywhere,’ before later referencing the community focus of the club: ‘When you’re only about winning, if you lose, you have nothing left…but we always have plenty left.’ The players also thanked him, and first team coach Olivia Murray, for their efforts over the season, surprising them with tokens of appreciation, for which they were very grateful.

Congratulations to everyone who made this season so special!

by Libby Comyn

Just one of the many things that sets AFC Unity apart from other clubs, female and male, is the involvement and dedication from its volunteers.

The amount of people from all ages, experiences and backgrounds that have come together to help and be a part of this club is incredible and I feel really shows the essence of what this club is all about: UNITY.

Just one of these many volunteers is Anna Pickering, a 19 year-old student who is Unity’s sports psychologist volunteer.

Sports psychology is a relatively new but growing specialism. It concentrates on how both psychological factors affect performance and how participation in sports affects psychological development, health and wellbeing.

It’s a new but extremely beneficial asset for any team to have and has a really positive personal impact for individual players and for a team as a whole. For AFC Unity to be able to have access to a sports psychologist goes to show their growth and commitment to creating a talented, supportive and well-rounded club.

I got the chance to interview Anna at a recent Unity game, which she attends weekly to give her support. Anna is a born-and-bred Sheffield’er, bubbly and approachable, and was one of the first people I really got to know at Unity – and she really put me at ease and helped get me involved. She has always been interested in football, supporting Sheffield Wednesday since she was little and herself playing for a short while, so when the chance to gain experience in not only a psychology role but also in a football-related environment came about, she jumped at it. Anna is currently in her last year at AFC Unity’s home of Hillsborough College, where she is studying Level 3 health and social care, and has recently accepted an offer from The University of Sheffield to further her studies in Psychology this coming academic year.

As for a future career, Anna is still undecided, but boasts three incredible placements: volunteering for local eating disorder charity SYEDA, on the psychology ward at Sheffield’s Children’s Hospital, and as Unity’s very own sports psychologist. This just goes to show her commitment and expanding experience in the field.

More specifically, her involvement with Unity is primarily to provide professional support for players – before, during, and after matches. Anna has also teamed up with Unity’s second sports psychologist, Francesca Wilkinson, who attends the training sessions. Here they communicate and work together to match each other’s training plans and sessions so the players receive tailored and structured support during difficult or frustrating moments during the match.

Anna also spoke about being a support for players coming back after injury, addressing their anxieties and building their confidence so they feel both physically and mentally ready to get back on the pitch. She said because strong friendships have been built over her time at Unity, she can start to see the benefits of her work and receives more positive responses from players who now feel comfortable to raise their worries, frustrations and happiness with her – something I witnessed a lot of during and after the match we attended.

Anna’s enthusiasm was evident throughout our interview and it was great to see the passion and enjoyment she got out of her volunteering; her thoughts on the club and her experience truly show what a great team it is to be a part of, both on and off the pitch.

‘I love the belief and positivity of the club, which brings together so many different people, from all ages and backgrounds,’ said Anna. ‘The club is fair on everyone and I really believe in the ethos it stands for. The volunteer programme is amazing and it not only provides the club and players with these extra support and resources, but it also allows for people like myself to gain these incredible opportunities and experiences – whilst making some great friends in the process. I’m very proud to be a part of it.’

Photographs by Yin-Hsuan Liang