Minutes of the Schools’ Association Football International Board (SAFIB)
Annual General Meeting held on
Saturday 17 September 2016 at the La Mon Hotel and Country Club, Castlereagh, Belfast, commencing at 0930 hrs

Delegates in attendance:
Gordon Pate (SAFIB Chairman – SSFA)
Cledwyn Ashford (SAFIB Vice-Chairman – WSFA)
Mike Spinks (SAFIB Secretary/Treasurer – ESFA)
Dave Woollaston (SAFIB Assistant Secretary – ESFA)


David Ebberson (ESFA)
Edwin Ferris (NISFA)
David Gilchrist (SSFA)
Alex Harkin (FAI / FAIS)
Keith James (WSFA)
Peter Lee (Welsh Football Trust)
John Mann (WSFA)
Fergus McDaid (FAIS)
Alex McMenemy (SSFA)
Bob Nesbitt (NISFA)
Alan Johnston (ESFA) Nixon Morton (FAIS)
Gary Kennedy (NISFA)
Paul Kerr (NISFA)

Apologies for Absence
Apologies for Absence were received from Mario Margreiter (Oesterreichischer FB, Austria), Lukasz Sojski (PZPN, Polish FA), Jeroen Roest (Koninklijke Nederlandsche V.B, Holland), Allen McKinstry (Past SAFIB Secretary / Treasurer), Walter Fricke (DFB, Germany), Orit Raz (Israel FA), Vladimir Luptak (Slovensky Futbalovy Zvaz, Slovakia), Ville Sairanen (Suomen Pallolitto, Finland), Joonas Vilkki (Suomen Pallolitto, Finland), Bob Browaeys (Voetbal Federatiev Laanderen, Belgian FA), Jean-Claude Giuntini (FFF, France), Diane Fay (FAI) and Jim Boyce (UEFA)

1. Welcome
In welcoming representatives to the meeting, Chairman Gordon Pate made particular mention of those who had helped to put the weekend programme together, particularly Bob Nesbitt in making arrangements for the meetings. He thanked NISFA officials Eddie Ferris, Gary Kennedy, Paul Kerr and Bob Ramsey from the NISFA for the work they had done and for their support in transporting colleagues to and from the La Mon Hotel and Country Club. He praised the input by the Irish Football Association staff for the series of excellent Friday afternoon seminars. The visit to the new National Stadium had been a fascinating experience. He concluded by expressing his own particular view that this weekend had been one of the most enjoyable SAFIB meetings.

Gordon Pate told the meeting that he had thoroughly enjoyed the privilege of being Chairman of SAFIB. The Chairman concluded by thanking Mike Spinks for his support as Secretary and Treasurer of SAFIB.

2. Minutes of 2015 AGM in Dublin (previously circulated)
The minutes were reviewed and considered a true and accurate record of the 2015 AGM in Dublin.

3. Minutes of Winter Meeting 2016 in Vienna (previously circulated)
The minutes were reviewed and considered a true and accurate record of the 2016 Winter Meeting in Vienna.

4. Matters Arising
There were no matters arising from either set of minutes.

5. Correspondence
The Secretary had received an email from Anne King at The FA. She was leaving The FA in the near future. Annie had valued the friendships she had made with SAFIB colleagues over the years and wished the organisation well for its future involvement in schools’ football.

Rod Houston had expressed his delight in having a new inter-school Under 14 festival for girls named in his honour. This was taking place at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Shropshire from Thursday 20 October to Saturday 22 October 2016.
6. Secretary/Treasurer’s Report
Hon Secretary’s Report 2015
The Secretary, Mike Spinks, reported that the previous year had been another busy but enjoyable one with all SAFIB’s football events again being successfully completed. He thanked the Welsh Football Trust for organising the Under 15 Bob Docherty Cup for the girls’ national teams last April in Newport and the SSFA for their staging of the Allen McKinstry Under 14 Boys Inter-Schools Festival in Glasgow in April 2015.

The Secretary paid credit to the Austrian FA for their organisation of the Winter Meeting in Vienna. The seminar, now an accepted practice at both the SAFIB meetings during the course of a season, had proved very useful. Members had enjoyed participating in the apfelstrudel workshop at the Schonbrunn Palace.

The Secretary had not yet visited the UEFA headquarters. Rod Houston would hopefully accompany him as he had been involved in initial discussions. It is hoped that this meeting will set the basis for some future developments.

Treasurer’s Report 2015-16
Mike Spinks would present the Treasurer’s Report and Income and Expenditure Accounts for 2015-2016 at the Winter Meeting. Problems had continued concerning the transfer of the accounts and payments to HMRC. A final payment from Inspiresport for their sponsorship (£25,000 over 3 years) had been made.

Discussions had ensued between SAFIB and Inspiresport as to any future sponsorship. Inspiresport wanted to change the emphasis of their sponsorship so a further meeting was envisaged. The company did not wish to give a block grant but would be prepared to offer sponsorship if SAFIB tournaments could be moved to Manchester. The WSFA were agreeable to the Allen McKinstry Cup, which they were planning to stage in Swansea from Thursday 19 May to Sunday 21 May 2017, to be moved to Manchester.

The issue of where to take the Winter Meeting in January 2017 was raised. Members indicated that they would be happy to consider any proposal from Inspiresport for the Winter Meeting to be held in Valencia, utilising a hotel that school tour parties use.

Issues concerning the Bob Docherty Cup were raised. FAIS had been asked to make arrangements for the festival in Dublin in 2017. Inspiresport were willing to stage it in Valencia. Plans were too far advanced to change the 2017 venue in Ireland but April 2018 in Spain might be a possibility. An outstanding bill from the Bob Docherty Cup 2016 in Wales of £8,000 was discussed. Members felt strongly that all elements of the tournament should, as at all previous festivals, be covered as an overall package divided equally among the competing countries. This was detailed in the Bob Docherty Cup protocols as read out to the meeting by the Assistant Secretary.

7. Election of Office Bearers & Executive Committee

SAFIB Chairman
Gordon Pate (SSFA) brought his term in the chair to a close by expressing the view that it had been both a privilege and a pleasure to be Chairman before reflecting on the fellowship and friendship of all those connected with the SAFIB family.

The meeting then proceeded to elect, unanimously, Cledwyn Ashford (WSFA) as the new Chairman. Cledwyn thanked the meeting for the honour of being chosen as the next SAFIB Chairman, paid tribute to Gordon for his tenure in the Chair during the preceding year, and reflected on his own commitment to the traditions of SAFIB by saying how much he was looking forward to his term of office.

SAFIB Vice Chairman
The meeting was informed that this year’s nomination was the gift of the Football Association of Ireland Schools. They wished to nominate Nixon Morton for the office of SAFIB Vice-Chairman. Representatives unanimously approved the nomination.

Secretary/Treasurer
Mike Spinks (ESFA) was unanimously re-elected.

Assistant Secretary
Dave Woollaston (ESFA) was unanimously re-elected.

Executive Committee
The Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary / Treasurer are automatic members. In addition, the following were proposed: Alex Harkin (FAIS), Alex McMenemy (SSFA), Keith James (WSFA), Bob Nesbitt (NISFA). The Assistant Secretary is the Minuting Secretary for this Committee.

8. Donations
The meeting unanimously accepted the proposal of the Executive Committee that the recommended level of donations for Season 2016-17 be £500 for Associations taking part in SAFIB competitions and €200 for other Associations.

9. Arrangements for Season 2016-17

Under 16 Victory Shield 2016
The following arrangements were confirmed. The tournament would be staged in Edinburgh with the new Oriam Sports Complex at Heriot Watt University as the base.

• Sunday 30 October 2016 – Wales v Republic of Ireland (1400) / Scotland v Northern Ireland (1700)
• Tuesday 1 November 2016 – Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland (1300) / Scotland v Wales (1600)
• Friday 4 November 2016 – Wales v Northern Ireland (1230) / Scotland v Republic of Ireland (1530)
Each country was to be invited to bring up to 22 players to the tournament. A maximum of 18 were to be selected as the squad for each game. The remainder of the squad could change and warm up but could not sit on the bench during the match. It was not known if an Official Dinner would take place. The Secretary would be on hand for the start of the tournament and the Chairman would present the trophy and medals at the conclusion of the competition on the last afternoon. The SSFA reiterated that all games would be played indoors on an artificial surface.

Consideration would be given in the future for (a) the involvement of another country in Europe (in membership with SAFIB) to join the Victory Shield, and, (b) to encourage the continuation of the dialogue between the Scottish FA and Qatar Airways concerning possible sponsorship.

U18 Centenary Shield 2016-17
The following planned schedule of games was reported to the meeting.
• Friday 16 February 2017 – FAIS U18 v WSFA U18 @ Home Farm FC, KO 1900 hrs
• Thursday 2 March 2017 – NISFA U18 v FAIS U18 @ Belfast, KO 1900 hrs
• Friday 3 March 2017 – SSFA U18 v ESFA U18 @ St Mirren FC, KO 1900 hrs
• Friday 17 March 2017 – WSFA U18 v SSFA U18 @ Bala FC, KO 1900 hrs
• Friday 24 March 2017 – ESFA U18 v NISFA U18 @ Torquay United FC, KO 1900 hrs
• Friday 31 March 2017 – NISFA U18 v SSFA U18 @ Belfast, KO 1900 hrs
• Thursday 6 April 2017 – SSFA U18 v FAIS U18 @ Stirling Albion FC, KO 1900 hrs
• Wednesday 12 April 2017 – WSFA U18 v NISFA U18 @ Cardiff, KO 1900 hrs
• Thursday 13 April 2017 – FAIS U18 v ESFA U18 @ Dublin, KO 1900 hrs
• Friday 21 April 2017 – ESFA U18 v WSFA U18 @ venue to be confirmed, KO 1900 hrs

The meeting noted certain fixtures that had been arranged against the touring Australia Schools FA in January 2016. NISFA indicated that they had not agreed a fixture and neither had the FAIS. SAFIB had previously agreed that from 2015 onwards all fixtures by touring teams from abroad (principally Australia and New Zealand) should be co-ordinated by the SAFIB Secretary and / or Assistant Secretary. Dave Woollaston will co-ordinate the fixtures for the 2017 Australia Schools tour which is due to take place in January.

Other tournaments
U15 Girls Tournament – Bob Docherty U15 Cup (International Football)
This event is due to be hosted by the FA of Ireland Schools and will take place from 9 – 12 April 2017 in Dublin. Accommodation and meals will be at the Maldron Hotel at Dublin Airport There was some discussion as to which team might take up the 6th place in the tournament. The Secretary had sent a newsletter inviting a European country to participate.

U14 Schools British Isles Boys Championship – Allen McKinstry U14 Cup (Inter-Schools Football)
Subject to any offer being confirmed by Inspiresport for the tournament to be staged at the Carrington Training Centre in Manchester, the WSFA intimated that they had provisional arrangements in hand to host this event. Their plans were to take the event to Swansea starting on Friday 19 May 2017 and concluding on Sunday 21 May 2017. Accommodation and meals would be at the Village Hotel. The opening fixtures would be played on the Friday evening followed by games on both the Saturday and Sunday mornings. This was subject to Inspiresport confirming any offer to stage the tournament over the same weekend.

U14 Schools British Isles Girls Championship – Rod Houston U14 Cup (Inter-Schools Football)
The Secretary announced that the inaugural U14 girls’ competition would take place at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Shropshire starting on Thursday 20 October and concluding on Saturday 22 October 2016. The schools taking part would be Dyffryn Aman Ammanford (Wales), Ursuline College Sligo (Republic of Ireland), Thomas Telford Shropshire (England) and St Ivo Huntingdon (England). Scotland and Northern Ireland were unable to join the competition on this occasion but it was hoped that this matter might be rectified in the future. Scotland had a problem in that the competition was 11-a-side and the SSFA only ran a 7-a-side national cup for the U14 age group. It was likely that future Rod Houston Cup Festivals would take place at the Carrington Training Centre in Manchester under the auspices of Inspiresport.

Other friendly fixtures
The annual fixture between the ESFA U15 Girls and their counterparts from the Republic of Ireland is likely to take place in the Dublin area, possibly over the weekend of Saturday 11 March or Sunday 12 March 2017.

Members were asked to notify the Secretary and Assistant Secretary of any other fixtures and the results of any such games.

10. SAFIB Winter Meeting January 2017
The Secretary was asked to continue his discussions with Inspiresport about the possibility of members meeting in Valencia. The company would be asked to host one member from each country attending. All members would have to finance their own flights to and from Spain.

11. SAFIB AGM 2017
The ESFA confirmed their preparedness to host the 2017 AGM at the Hilton Hotel at Manchester Airport. The meeting would be held in the Autumn. The Secretary was asked to contact our colleagues from Europe to see if they would prefer a different month from September. If agreeable to our European friends the date of the SAFIB AGM could be switched to January each year and replace the Winter Meeting.

12. Any Other Business
In closing the meeting at 1130 hours, the new Chairman Cledwyn Ashford thanked all present for their contributions and wished everyone a successful season.

Mike Spinks
SAFIB Secretary
September 2016

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