NWGFL News
The latest news from the Norfolk Women & Girls' Football LeagueNWGFL 2023/2024 Team Entry
The new 2023/2024 team entry form is now available online on the league website – www.nwgfl.net.
Entry fees have not been decided yet, so please complete your team entries and we will be in touch in the coming months to confirm the fees.
Please note, we will be looking at running in addition to the other divisions, a U7 and a U18 division next season, obviously dependent on entry numbers.
The league AGM will be held on the 27th June at Open Academy, full details will be circulated in due course. It’s important for all team entries to be submitted by 31st May 2023 so we can circulate the league constitution in advance of the AGM.
NWGFL Award Nominations
Please use the link below to submit a nomination for the Norfolk Women’s & Girls Football League Awards evening to be held on the 17th June. All nominations must be received by 31st March.
NWGFL 2023 Awards Night
We are pleased to announce that due to overwhelming support from our clubs we will be holding our first ever NWGFL awards evening. More details will follow over the next couple of weeks regarding award categories and how you can nominate.
Let them Play. Let them Lead. Let them Learn. Silent Support Weekend 25-26 February
NWGFL are taking part in the Silent Support Weekend on Saturday 25th February for Divisions U8 to U12.
HEADING IN FOOTBALL TRIAL
NWGFL are part of the FA trial to remove deliberate heading in football matches across U12 level and below in England from the start of the 2022/23 season.
During the trial we will be observing matches and collecting data, as well as gathering feedback and observations from everyone involved.
Why the trial?
• Aligns matches with training – currently heading in training at under 12s and below is eliminated or restricted.
• Support the development of more skilful players – stay on the ball when in possession.
• Player Welfare – mitigate against any potential risk that may be linked to heading the ball while research is ongoing in this area.
What exactly are the new laws that will be introduced as part of this trial?
The law changes for these trials are dictated by IFAB and state:
- Deliberately heading the ball is an offense punishable by an indirect free kick. This will also mean the introduction of indirect free-kicks in mini-soccer in this circumstance.
- The indirect free kick is taken at the point where the ball was deliberately headed, except where a player of the defending team deliberately heads the ball in their own penalty area, the indirect free kick is taken from the penalty mark.
- Deliberately heading the ball is not a cautionable (yellow card) or sending-off (red card) offence unless it:
- Stops or interferes with a promising attack (yellow card)
- Denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (red card)
- Occur often enough to be considered “persistent misconduct” (yellow card)
The FA have developed some resources that explains the process, please see below:
Heading in Football Trial Guidance
Heading in Football Trial – Clubs
U7 & U8 FREE LEAGUE ENTRY INTO THE 2022/2023 SEASON
If you are looking within your own clubs to offer your younger age provision the opportunity to play football within a team environment against other teams from different clubs. The league is for this season offering clubs free entry into the U7 and or U8 divisions.
To enable clubs more time to recruit when the children return to school, these divisions will commence the first week of November 2022.
Please complete the team entry form available on the league website
Congratulations
The 2021/2022 season is coming to an end, its been challenging but hugely successful. NWGFL would like to congratulate each and every team who have played this season. With recognition to the following league and cup winners as below:
Ladies 11 Cup Winners – Fakenham Town Ladies
Ladies 11 Plate Winners – Dussindale and Hellesdon Ladies
Ladies 11 Division 1 Winners – Mulbarton Ladies
Ladies 11 Division 2 Winners – Caister Ladies
Ladies 7 Cup Winners – Costessey Women FC
Ladies 7 League Winners – Mulbarton Ladies
U16 Cup Winners – Bohemians Panthers
U16 League Winners – Sprowston Girls FC
U15 Cup Winners – Blofield United FC
U15 League Winners – Blofield United FC
U14 Cup Winners – Gorleston FC Emeralds
U14A League Winners – Gorleston FC Emeralds
U14B League Winners – Yarmouth FC
U13 Cup Winners – Beccles Town Youth FC
U13 League Winners – Gorleston FC Diamonds
U12 Cup Winners – Blofield United FC
U12A League Winners – Blofield United Youth FC & Wymondham United Wolves
U12B League Winners – Bure Valley Bobcats
NWGFL Statement 26/08/21
League Statement Regarding Fixtures
This is an open letter to a small number of teams/individuals within the Norfolk Women’s and Girls Football League, following the release of the fixtures this week.
The NWGFL committee were left feeling dismayed and disillusioned following comments from certain quarters on social media. The committee have given up large portions of their summer to ensure the entire league setup is geared up for the new season; by way of creating fixtures, hosting meetings to discuss rule changes and a variety of other tasks that needed completing.
Not least of all contending with an ever-changing landscape; teams dropping out, teams wanting to enter after the constitution has been agreed or others wanting to move divisions. Rather than refusing these requests, the league committee do their very best to accommodate requests and try to fulfil our main objective – to nurture and grow the girl’s and women’s game in Norfolk.
Sometimes though, we have to say no. Either the request simply will not be feasible, or it’s too close to the start of the season and further amendments will delay the season even more.
On this occasion, the three Ladies 11’s divisions were reduced to 8 teams in a division due to late dropouts. Whilst not perfect, the decision was made within the committee to leave it as three divisions for a number of reasons:
- There are the Women’s Cup, League Cup and Plate competitions to add in
- Unfavourable winter weather nearly always results in several postponements every season, often making it incredibly difficult for the season to finish on time due to a fixture backlog.
- The last two seasons have been curtailed due to the ongoing pandemic, and there is no guarantee that this season will start and finish unaffected by COVID. Games may be postponed due to positive cases or isolation reasons.
By having some free weeks towards the end of the season, this gives flexibility should either of the bottom two scenarios become an issue.
The personal attacks on the character and integrity of the league and its committee members has left us saddened and angry, and furthermore were completely unnecessary. We recognise that not every decision we make will please everyone all the time, but there is absolutely no need for some of the comments that have surfaced over the last few days.
Not long ago the footballing community came together for a social media blackout to highlight the serious issue of online social media abuse. The very same teams and individuals that more than likely honoured that blackout were clearly happy to dish out abuse of their own when it suited them, with no regard to their intended targets.
Like any organisation or individual, we welcome constructive feedback. Together, we can continue to improve and grow the NWGFL into something we are all proud of.
NWGFL Committee
Inclusive Girls Festival in association with NWGFL
Norfolk FA will be running a girl’s football inclusive festival on Saturday 25th September. If you have a daughter aged 5-11 years who would like to attend, please complete the booking form below.
The festival is designed specifically to be inclusive and to encourage girls with a disability to begin, or further develop, their love for football.
If you would like to discuss the festival in more detail before booking on, please get in contact with Rachel.Cossey@NorfolkFA.com.
The festival will be held in the afternoon at the FDC, Bowthorpe.
To book a place please click the below link and compete the expressions of interest form
NWGFL AGM – Tuesday 29th June – 7pm
NWGFL 2021/2022 AGM will be held online on Tuesday 29th June 2021 commencing at 7pm. It is compulsory for every club entering into the 2021/2022 season to attend the AGM.
All relevant AGM documentation will be circulated two weeks prior to the AGM.
