• JFA Combination season resumption dates confirmed
• Teams able to have 17 participants each, including players, coaches/managers, club linesman and match organisers
• Clubs remain unable to use their changing rooms
• Players encouraged to turn up already in kit and leave straight after final whistle
• Matches to be played “behind closed doors” with 35-person gathering limit

Following a meeting of the Competitions Committee on Sunday evening, the Jersey FA is pleased to confirm the dates for the resumption of its local league and cup competitions. The season has been on temporary hold since early December because of the number of players isolating in the island, and then the subsequent restrictions on gathering sizes.

The Government of Jersey announced on Friday that, as part of its reconnection plan, outdoor sports can resume for groups of 35 people maximum from the following dates:

• Wednesday 17 February: Under-18s
• Monday 8 March: Adults/Open Age

Until 8 March, adult teams remain limited to groups of 10 for training and are reminded of the continuing importance of abiding by the “Rule of 10” law.

Youth Football Fixtures (U11-U18)

The Jacksons U11, U13, U15 and U18 divisions are all set to resume this Sunday, 21 February. The full fixtures list for youth football will be released to club secretaries in the next 24 hours and will appear on the Full-Time website and FA Matchday App. The season will run until the middle of June if there are no further Covid-related stoppages.

To enable compliance with the maximum gathering size of 35 law, each club may have 17 attendees at a match, including players, managers, coaches, club linesman and match organisers. Safeguarding children will always be our priority, and therefore at least two adults (both with in-date DBS checks) should be included in each club’s group.

All fixtures must be played “behind closed doors”, with players, coaches, managers, match officials, and match organisers the only permitted attendees at any fixture.

Adult/Open Age Football

Women

Our local Women’s League will resume on Sunday 14 March and if there are no further Covid-related delays then the season will run until the end of May.

The full women’s schedule for the remainder of the season will be released via club secretaries in the next 24-hours and will appear on the Full-Time website and FA Matchday App.

Men

The men’s fixtures are being finalised and will be released later this week. A small number of fixtures will be played between Monday 8 March and Friday 12 March, with the bulk of the league programme then resuming on Saturday 13 March.

The men’s fixtures will be released via club secretaries as soon as possible and will appear on the Full-Time website and FA Matchday App. As things stand, the season will run until the final weekend of May.

Other Key Points

Clubs are also reminded that two-metre physical distancing must be observed, and this includes substitutes, coaches and managers. Names and contact details for all attendees should be recorded, either via a sign-in form or the QR Code system being utilised in many shops and other areas.

In addition, Government of Jersey guidelines do not currently allow changing rooms to be used. Toilets and handwashing facilities that are required to support outdoor sport, where two-metre physical distancing is possible, can remain open.

“We’re really pleased to have dates in the diary for the resumption of the 2020/21 season,” said Jersey FA CEO David Kennedy. “We must publicly thank our Fixtures Secretary Steve Landick for the long hours he’s putting in behind the scenes to rearrange so many games.

“Our clubs have been superb in their management throughout the pandemic, and we ask Covid Officers and other volunteers to now make sure all the required measures are in place to play these games in as safe an environment as possible. The spotlight will be on football and our sport’s compliance with the legal requirements.

“At this time of year, with plenty of rain around, the enforced closure of changing rooms will present our clubs with yet another challenge. We will continue to speak to government on this matter however, in the meantime we’d encourage managers to plan in advance to ensure players have their kit and can turn up ready to play.

“Many of our divisions are poised for an exciting second half of the season, and we can now look forward to seeing how it all pans out over the next few months.”