In their final Youth season our Under 16's embarked on a European adventure by travelling to Holland and taking part in the Easter Open South, a two-day tournament spread across a variety of venues in southern Netherlands and staying at Het Heijderbos Centerparc!

In the Fry Club JFC Podcast Number 24 Andy, Mark & the U16's of Fry Club JFC record the Easter Tour to the Holland Easter Open South tournament as it happens; a four-day excursion for a two-day tournament. Along the way they have fun, play matches and make friends for life, all in the space of 96 very long hours.

The Green, Green Grassroots of Football podcast is available on all of your regular podcast channels including iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music and more. Recorded by Andy Glover and Mark Grinter, this podcast explores various topics relevant to youth football and if you would like to get in touch then please email the podcast mailbox. Episode 24: The Easter Open Netherlands Tour is now available.

For more on the U16's, click on their Team Page.

We look back to Saturday 3rd September 2022 when some of our U9 Girls were Mascots for Bristol Rovers Women, many of whom have just won promotion to the FA National League South West!  They had an amazing experience and were made to feel very welcome by the women of Bristol Rovers.  To see a couple of photos, click the link, or for more on the now U10 Girls, both Juniors and Wanderers, click their links.

Fry Club JFC Podcast Number's 22 and 23 are available to listen to and enjoy! Andy, Mark & Ben take a look at the dangers of Social Media from trolling and abuse, to the ultimate damage that it can do if left unchecked. Please be aware this episode touches on some very sensitive topics and may be a hard listen for some. Please get support if you feel you need to.  Following that they take a stroll around the positive aspects which it can bring! From building relationships to education, motivating our children and driving creativity along with numerous other benefits which the online world can offer. The Green, Green Grassroots of Football podcast is available on all of your regular podcast channels including iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music and more. Recorded by Andy Glover and Mark Grinter, this podcast explores various topics relevant to youth football and if you would like to get in touch then please email the podcast mailbox. Episode 22: The Dangers Of Social Media and Episode 23: The Benefits Of Social Media is now available.

With the recent bad weather there have not been many matches to report on, so we look back to last Summer when our Lionesses were on their way to the World Cup Final.  On the day of the Semi Final many of our Girls Teams gathered at Somerdale Pavilion for a pre-match training session before heading in to cheer on England together.  It was a fantastic day and over 50 girls turned up for a fun morning of Lionesses Training and you can see photos of the link.

Fry Club JFC Podcast Number's 20 and 21 are available to listen to and enjoy! Andy & Mark are joined by James Slee-Evans to have a chat about children joining a sport, focussing in this case on football and in particular Wildcats. They look at having friends already in the group, the effects of weather, the progress that your child can make as well as a slightly controversial aspect of the Wildcats programme. They then follow this to see what it means to become the Manager of the Team. Andy and Mark throw in some anecdotes of their own and reflect on topics including training, administration and development. The Green, Green Grassroots of Football podcast is available on all of your regular podcast channels including iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music and more. Recorded by Andy Glover and Mark Grinter, this podcast explores various topics relevant to youth football and if you would like to get in touch then please email the podcast mailbox. Episode 20: Joining A New Team and Episode 21: Becoming A New Manager is now available.

In their final Youth season our Under 16's embarked on a European adventure by travelling to Holland and taking part in the Easter Open South, a two-day tournament spread across a variety of venues in southern Netherlands.  The Team stayed at Het Heijderbos Centerparc, and that link takes you to photographs of the site, and for a visual feast you can watch just the goals scored on Tour below! For more on the U16's, click on their Team Page.

On Saturday 12th August 2023, one of the U13 Girls Juniors was fortunate enough to be Mascot for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League and had a fantastic time, meeting many of her favourite players. For more on the U13 Girls Juniors, click the link.

Fry Club JFC Podcast Number 19 is available to listen to and enjoy!  In Number 19, Andy & Mark are joined by Mark Small to discuss the benefits of having Soccer Tots and Wildcats sections. Mark Grinter with his knowledge of the Wildcats and Mark Small with his knowledge of the Tots, discuss Physical Development, Social Interaction, Cognitive Growth, the various components of football training, along with the benefits it brings as well as their own personal reasons for involvement. The Green, Green Grassroots of Football podcast is available on all of your regular podcast channels including iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music and more. Recorded by Andy Glover and Mark Grinter, this podcast explores various topics relevant to youth football and if you would like to get in touch then please email the podcast mailbox. Episode 19: Tots And Wildcats is now available.

In their final Youth season our Under 16's embarked on a European adventure by travelling to Holland and taking part in the Easter Open South, a two-day tournament spread across a variety of venues in southern Netherlands.  Their sixth & final match was against Spartans FC from Scotland, and that link takes you to photographs of the match, or you can watch the whole match below! For more on the U16's, click on their Team Page.

As part of preparations for their introductions to U18 football, we look back to when our U17's had a friendly match against Paulton Rovers.  It was a great match, end to end and high scoring. For more on the U17's, click the link.

Fry Club JFC Podcast Number's 17 and 18 are available to listen to and enjoy! Andy & Mark discuss the history of women's football and take a look at some of the challenges which they face and have faced including pay, maternity rights, discrimination, sexism, gender inequality within sport, sexuality, participation, some high profile media interventions but also some notable successes. The Green, Green Grassroots of Football podcast is available on all of your regular podcast channels including iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music and more. Recorded by Andy Glover and Mark Grinter, this podcast explores various topics relevant to youth football and if you would like to get in touch then please email the podcast mailbox. Episode 17: The Challenges Women Face Part 1 and Episode 18: The Challenges Women Face Part 2 is now available.

In their final Youth season our Under 16's embarked on a European adventure by travelling to Holland and taking part in the Easter Open South, a two-day tournament spread across a variety of venues in southern Netherlands.  Their fifth match was against Cambrian & Clydach Vale Academy from Wales, and that link takes you to photographs of the match, or you can watch the whole match below! For more on the U16's, click on their Team Page.

We look back to the start of this season to when our U8 Girls were preparing for their first full season of matches.  They played their first friendly away to Bristol Rovers Supporters on a sunny August afternoon. For more on the U8 Girls, click the link.

Fry Club JFC Podcast Number's 15 and 16 are available to listen to and enjoy! Andy, Mark & Ben are joined by James and in Episode 15 take a look at what it means to Coach individual players looking at interpersonal soft skills, technology, tailored programmes and more. Then in Episode 16 they take a look at what it means to Coach the Team; looking at realism / relevance, communication, strengths / weaknesses, relationships, emotional intelligence and more. The Green, Green Grassroots of Football podcast is available on all of your regular podcast channels including iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music and more. Recorded by Andy Glover and Mark Grinter, this podcast explores various topics relevant to youth football and if you would like to get in touch then please email the podcast mailbox. Episode 15: Coaching The Player and Episode 16: Coaching The Team is now available.

In their final Youth season our Under 16's embarked on a European adventure by travelling to Holland and taking part in the Easter Open South, a two-day tournament spread across a variety of venues in southern Netherlands.  Their fourth match and first of Day 2 was against Olympia '18 of the Netherlands again, as they made it through to the top 8 group, and that link takes you to photographs of the match, or you can watch the whole match below! For more on the U16's, click on their Team Page.

We look back to the Summer when one of our players and his elder brother, an ex-player played in a Charity Match at Southampton against many ex-Southampton professionals including players such as Matt Le Tissier. For more on the U16's, click the link.

Fry Club JFC Podcast Number's 13 and 14 are available to listen to and enjoy! Andy & Mark take a look at mentoring and how it can support both Players and Coaches alike including both psychosocial and career orientated mentoring. They also reflect on their own mentors. The Green, Green Grassroots of Football podcast is available on all of your regular podcast channels including iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music and more. Recorded by Andy Glover and Mark Grinter, this podcast explores various topics relevant to youth football and if you would like to get in touch then please email the podcast mailbox. Episode 13: Mentoring Part 1 and Episode 14: Mentoring Part 2 is now available.

In their final Youth season our Under 16's embarked on a European adventure by travelling to Holland and taking part in the Easter Open South, a two-day tournament spread across a variety of venues in southern Netherlands.  Their third match and last of Day 1 was against Bagsvaerd Boldklub of Denmark, and that link takes you to photographs of the match, or you can watch the whole match below! For more on the U16's, click on their Team Page.

We look back to early in the season to when our U8 Girls were fully into their first full season of matches.  They played against Bristol Rovers Supporters on a sunny October morning. For more on the U8 Girls, click the link.

Fry Club JFC Podcast Number's 11 and 12 are available to listen to and enjoy! In Episode 11, Andy and Mark are joined by Ben to ruminate, cogitate and generally mull over what it takes to be a Grassroots football coach, discussing having to Coach, Referee, Safeguard, 1st Aid and more, and in Episode 12, expand on that but look at the issues and complications which can arise around being a Grassroots football coach, and in both episodes divert off on a few tangents with anecdotes from their experiences. The Green, Green Grassroots of Football podcast is available on all of your regular podcast channels including iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music and more. Recorded by Andy Glover and Mark Grinter, this podcast explores various topics relevant to youth football and if you would like to get in touch then please email the podcast mailbox. Episode 11: Being A Grassroots Coach and Episode 12: The Issues Of Being A Grassroots Coach is now available.

In their final Youth season our Under 16's embarked on a European adventure by travelling to Holland and taking part in the Easter Open South, a two-day tournament spread across a variety of venues in southern Netherlands.  Their second match was against Olympia '18 of the Netherlands, and that link takes you to photographs of the match, or you can watch the whole match below! For more on the U16's, click on their Team Page.

We look back to early in the season to our youngest Girls as they learn the basics of football. They have fun, learn football and make friends, which to us is probably the most important part! For more on the Wildcats click the link.

Fry Club JFC Podcast Number 10 is available to listen to and enjoy and begins Season 2!  In Number 10, Andy & Mark take a look at the opportunities which have presented themselves for the Girls of Fry Club JFC in the wake of the Women's World Cup and how the popularity has helped grow the game in terms of numbers and inspiration.  They also look at what else needs to be done to capitalise on this surge in interest. The Green, Green Grassroots of Football podcast is available on all of your regular podcast channels including iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music and more. Recorded by Andy Glover and Mark Grinter, this podcast explores various topics relevant to youth football and if you would like to get in touch then please email the podcast mailbox. Episode 10: Opportunity Knocks is now available.

In their final Youth season our Under 16's embarked on a European adventure by travelling to Holland and taking part in the Easter Open South, a two-day tournament spread across a variety of venues in southern Netherlands.  Their first match was against Herning Fremad of Denmark, and that link takes you to photographs of the match, or you can watch the whole match below! For more on the U16's, click on their Team Page.

We look back to early in the season to when our U8 Girls were fully into their first full season of matches.  They played away against Emersons Green on a sunny September morning and had lots of fun. For more on the U8 Girls click the link.

Fry Club JFC Podcast Number 9 is available to listen to and enjoy and is the last episode of Season 1!  In Number 9, Andy & Mark reflect on last year's Girl's Tournament which Fry Club JFC undertook and look at how it happened, what went right, what went wrong and what lessons could be learned from the experience. The Green, Green Grassroots of Football podcast is available on all of your regular podcast channels including iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music and more. Recorded by Andy Glover and Mark Grinter, this podcast explores various topics relevant to youth football and if you would like to get in touch then please email the podcast mailbox. Episode 9: The Tournament is now available.

In their final Youth season our Under 16's embarked on a European adventure by travelling to Holland and taking part in the Easter Open South, a two-day tournament spread across a variety of venues in southern Netherlands.  Staying at Het Heijderbos Centerparc it was a four-day experience, Day 1 travelling out, three matches on Day 2, three matches on Day 3 and then returning on Day 4.  We start here by looking at some photos of The Journey. For more on the U16's, click on their Team Page.

With Somerdale still underwater, we take this opportunity to look back to last season, and our traditional end of season match between our U16's and our Managers.  This season ending match, the Ron Williams Cup, has been a tradition for the 50+ years of our history and always brings out the competitive edge in both Teams. The match ended 6-6, however as the Managers had won the year before they retained the trophy for the third consecutive season.  For more on the Ron Williams Cup then click that link, or the U16 Team Managed by Tim Carthy who contested it, click that link.

With the recent bad weather there have not been many matches to report on, so we look back to last Summer when our Lionesses were on their way to the World Cup Final.  On the day of the Quarter Final many of our Girls Teams gathered at Somerdale Pavilion for a pre-match training session before heading in to cheer on England together.  Two of those teams were our Wildcats and our U8's and photos can be viewed at both links.

Fry Club JFC Podcast Number 8 is available to listen to and enjoy!  In Number 8, Andy & Mark take a look at the age old problem of interfering or pushy and abusive parents! From those who ignore the Manager's instructions, to those who hurl abuse, and they almost look at the creation of robotic children in football... almost!. The Green, Green Grassroots of Football podcast is available on all of your regular podcast channels including iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music and more. Recorded by Andy Glover and Mark Grinter, this podcast explores various topics relevant to youth football and if you would like to get in touch then please email the podcast mailbox. Episode 8: Interfering Parents is now available.

After flooding for the first time in three years last year, Somerdale pitches are underwater again!  As we stated at the beginning of last year, this used to be a regular Winter occurrence as our Flooded page illustrates.  We have already lost the last few matches of 2023 to sodden pitches, and with more heavy rain forecast, this casts doubt on both training and matches in the near future.