Affiliation Fees 2023/24 Season Update

Following an upgrade to The FA IT software used by County FAs, we have been required to review and amend how we affiliate Clubs and teams for 2023/24 season. 

Affiliation is NOW OPEN and the process will be changing significantly, most notably the change from club affiliation to team affiliation. 

In practice, this means that clubs can affiliate an individual team as soon as they are compliant with all affiliation requirements. For example, if a club consists of 30 teams and there is only one team not compliant, the other 29 teams can be affiliated, and the additional team can be added once the requirements have been satisfied. This should alleviate some of the past issues whereby one issue can prevent an entire set of teams from affiliating to the County FA.

Due to this change, the previous ‘club fee’ will no longer be charged to clubs and instead, there will be a fee for each team that is affiliated. The price list for team affiliation can be found later in this article. 

Middlesex FA have conducted extensive research to ensure the price that we are charging is reasonable and proportionate in comparison to other County FA’s and for the service that is provided. In addition, the current cost-of-living crisis has been considered to ensure our teams are well supported throughout.

Despite enduring a challenging period during COVID, Middlesex FA have continued to provide a high level of customer service and deliver bespoke CPD events for Coaches, Referees, Leagues, Administrators and Volunteers across grassroots football, but with this does come at an increased cost for delivery and this is where the bulk of the income generated through affiliation will be going towards.  

The price structure is listed below and formed in a table per team of what will be charged to directly affiliate for 2023/24 season. We also have listed some helpful FAQs that provides an overview of these changes. When the affiliation window opens, we will email and inform you to provide further details on how your team can affiliate. Prior to this, further information will be shared in the lead-up to the start of the process to ensure teams have a good opportunity to familiarise themselves with the process and work on its own compliance ahead of time. 

There will be some changes to the process you have become familiar with and this article and below guide should help to provide a helpful overview of the changes and how this will impact your team for the new season. The guide will also provide information for new clubs, for whom this process will become the norm. 

Further changes include the way clubs enter County Cup competitions on the system and also the Safeguarding requirements needed for each type of affiliated team (adult, youth & disability). All information is included in the below guide and will be communicated further through our website, emails and social media in the coming weeks. 

How much will it cost for my team to affiliate?

The fees below display how much each team will be required to pay to affiliate for 2023/24 season. There are no Club fees to pay.  

Insurance and other products will be paid separately and further details on these costs can be found below.

What are the advantages of the new system?

The new system is an upgrade on previously used platforms, which should make the process much simpler and efficient for teams. As mentioned previously, the move to team affiliation should also assist in this, providing greater flexibility to those teams that are fully compliant to affiliate and begin playing football. 

Another key advantage of the new system is that providing a team is compliant, much of the affiliation process will be automated and allow teams to affiliate much faster than in previous seasons. The onus is therefore on teams to ensure they are fully compliant to help themselves once affiliation begins. Should a team attempt to affiliate without making the necessary checks, the team be due a County FA check and will be affiliated manually, likely meaning it will be delayed in comparison to the automated process. 

Further to this, teams will have a more simplified product list to choose from, making affiliation a much less arduous task for team officials to manage.

How will Clubs affiliate? 

Whilst Clubs are affiliated, the main affiliation and insurance will run off the team. This means one team can become affiliated and insured and be able to play whilst the other teams in that club still complete the affiliation and administration process.

How will teams affiliate? 

Teams will affiliate using the Club Portal system, which is the same portal used for player registration. This will be placed under the ‘Teams’ section. 

What changes have been made to Safeguarding in Open-Aged & Disability Football?

Open-Aged Football - All clubs with at least one open-aged team will be required to name a Welfare Officer for season 2023/24, which will be a mandatory requirement for affiliation. 

At present, there is no further action that needs to happen regarding qualifications for this role, however it will be mandatory from season 2024/25 that somebody in this position will need to have a valid FA DBS check.
 
Disability Football - It will be mandatory for all Clubs with at least one disability team to have a named Welfare Officer for season 2023/24 who must also have completed a Safeguarding Adults module through the England Football Learning platform before the team can be affiliated. 

Insurance

Clubs and teams will be provided insurance through UKGlobal and this is included as part of the affiliation procedure. The cost of insurance for Clubs and teams is detailed below. Clubs and teams looking to obtain insurance through a different provider will be required to attach their policy documents during the process. 

Club Public Liability Insurance – £24 per club
Adult Personal Accident – £69 per team
Youth Personal Accident –£18 per team

The above insurance premiums are based on the basic level of cover provided. During the affiliation process, teams will have the opportunity to upgrade their level of cover, with prices and information to be visible on the Club Portal once the period opens in June.

It is also worth noting that purchasing through UKGlobal will help with the automated process, as this is the insurance available to purchase through the system directly. 

view affiliation guide here