Hart FC

Hart FC was founded in 1998. This season we will have 170 players all the way from age 5 to age 15 youths. We also have a adult squad for the first time this season.

Basic aims

The full list of aims of Hart FC is in the Constitution. Here is a summary:

• To provide a safe environment for the children who come to play football
• To ensure that each child is given every opportunity to develop their own football skills
• To ensure that every child at the club has the opportunity to represent the club at competitive football at a standard appropriate to their abilities In practice, this means having a lot of fun whilst improving all aspects of our play.

Volunteers

The club is run on a completely voluntary basis. All of the managers and other officers of the club give up their own time to run the teams.

Financially stable

We are a financially stable, non-profit-making club. We collect registration fees at the start of the year and subs every week. From these we pay for league fees, ground fees, strips, balls, equipment, and events for our players and so on. We currently have five sponsors:

• Rostrvm Solutions Ltd - U8s
• AYCTelecom - U10s
• Contract Plumbing - U13s
• Mailsource - U12 & U14s
• Surrey Couriers - U9s

Qualified and checked

The managers have all now passed at least the FA Junior Team Managers level 1 test. Everyone associated with the club is now also required complete a volunteers' application form and will be checked through the FA's CRB system. Together these ensure a safe environment for the players to learn and develop their footballing skills.

Team sizes

The teams from under-5/6s up to the under-10s all play small-sided football in the NE Hants Youth League or Surrey Primary League. This means that they play a mixture of friendly and competitive games on smaller pitches and with fewer players. This encourages the players by giving them more touches of the ball, with everyone taking a positive part in the game.

Our older teams play 11-a-side football on regular-sized pitches. This is highly competitive and sees the teams playing in league and cup competitions. We even have a Hart Veterans team too for all you failed footballers to re-live your dreams and experience new injuries!

Whilst the need for applying the rules of football increases as the players get older, the intention to be competitive and have fun, is the same for all ages.

Venues

We have three main venues: Velmead Junior School, Velmead Community Centre - Zebon Copse and Kennels Lane, Southwood

Other club officials

You will see the managers on lots of occasions during the season. However, the club couldn’t run without the following people.

Paul Howard is the Club Chairman and makes sure that everything runs according to plan.

Andy Woodland is Club Secretary, and deals with league registrations and other legal requirements.

Stewart Payne is our Treasurer, pays our bills and keeps our books up to date and correct.

Paul Williams is our Child Protection Officer (see below).

Vicki Murphy is Events Secretary and makes sure that everything happens on the social side.

Jessica Neighbour is head of our Public Relations, which includes making sure that our match reports end up in the Fleet News.

Ian Wheway is our Webmaster looking after our website.

Pete Hanson is our Membership Secretary, keeping details up-to-date for all of our registered players

Darryl Taylor is our Development Officer, charged with making the clubs ambitions into a reality for years to come.

Child Protection Officer

In order to make sure that all of the players are treated fairly and equally, Paul Williams has been appointed as CPO. This job is essentially to make sure that any activities undertaken by Hart FC are safe for the players both physically and emotionally.

The social side

There is plenty for everyone to do when we're away from the football pitch. The three biggest occasions are the Christmas Party, the end-of-season Awards Ceremony, which takes place usually in late May, and our Fun Day in late June. The latter sees such wonderful events as Soak-the-Manager, Kids versus Mums and Dads, Penalty Shoot-out, Barbeque. The different age groups arrange their own events too. Last year saw some groups go to spend a day at Reading FC. For the parents, this year we have quiz nights planned and many more possibilities such as casino night.