We at Fry Club JFC would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  We hope that you all have a safe and enjoyable time, and that next year is another great Grassroots year.

U15's World Cup Sweepstake

Our U15's have got themselves into the World Cup spirit with a fun Sweepstake. With the prizes donated from the Team and the draw made under the most stringent of conditions (see the video...), it promises to be a tense, but exciting affair. For more on the U15's please view their Team Page where the Sweepstake image on the right will be updated as the World Cup progresses.

On the nearest Sunday to Remembrance Day, Fry Club JFC and their opposition paid their Respects as always with a series of impeccably held minute silences.  For more on these Teams, please click on the team pages of the U9 Girls, U12 Girls, U15's and U16's.

All AYL U16's Matches Cancelled

All 42 Teams across the Avon Youth League U16 age group have seen their matches cancelled this weekend after a spate of incidents, including assault on a child, as reported by ITV News. The decision by the AYL is an attempt to shock Clubs into reviewing their behavior and hopefully improving it as the season goes on.  Fortunately, Fry Club JFC are one of a number of Clubs in Bristol who do follow the FA Respect Guidelines, as well as having our own Codes of Conduct which Players and Parents sign at the start of each season. For more on our U16's please view their Team Page.

U15's Play Under The Lights

On Friday 30th September, our U15's played their first ever match under floodlights.  This actually came about thanks to four of their players embarking on a career in refereeing, and the training day coinciding with the original match day.  The opposition were gracious enough to agree to the evening switch (many thanks to Whitchurch Sports), and so under the lights they went.  Unfortunately the weather wasn't so agreeable, however both teams fought a competitive fixture nonetheless, and then piled into the Pavilion for sausage and chips to warm up afterwards. For more on the U15's please view their Team Page.

Fry Club JFC marked the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with one minute's silence at their matches the following week after her passing.  This link shows just a few of the Teams as they showed their respect.

Fry Club JFC is lending its full support to Play Safe – a national FA-led campaign to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding in football.

Play Safe is being run in partnership with the NSPCC and has the full backing of the Premier League, EFL, Barclays FA Women’s Super League and the FA Women’s Championship. It’s also supported and being run across every other level of the game.

The FA’s Survivor Support and Safeguarding Advisory Group [FASSSAG] has also added its support to the Play Safe campaign and are encouraging parents and carers to take the new online course, adding:

“We have inputted into the course and helped frame its key messages from our collective experiences. It’s vitally important to us that every parent and carer understands the role they need to play in football. Taking this course can make a real difference – and we are asking every parent and carer to commit to help ensure football is ever-safer.”

This year’s focus remains on the key role of parents/carers in safeguarding, with two main messages being conveyed:
• Are you aware of the vital safeguarding role you play in football?
• Please take the new, short and free safeguarding course specifically developed for parents/carers, which can be accessed here.

 

The FA’s CEO Mark Bullingham, himself a parent and youth football coach, has welcomed the support of the FASSSAG, saying: “The FASSSAG has played an important role in helping us create our new safeguarding strategy and we greatly appreciate their input into the new online course. I have taken the new course and encourage all parents and carers across football to take it too. 

“Ultimately, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. We all need to ensure that everyone involved in football – particularly children and young people – has a consistently safe and positive experience of our great game. Our Play Safe campaign reminds everyone of that responsibility and keeps safeguarding front of mind, which is exactly where it should be.”

Fry Club JFC is deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Fry Club JFC would like to wish all of the girls and boys who are embarking on the coming season, a fun, enjoyable and entertaining time. Let's hope it creates some amazing football, scintillating skills and wonderful memories.

Fry Club JFC Go International!

Last Sunday our U12 Girls played their first international match as they entertained Cascade Youth Club who made the 50 mile trip over from Ystrad Mynach, which is north of Cardiff in Wales.  It was a thoroughly entertaining, high-scoring match which was ultimately decided by just one goal in favour of our Girls. For more on the U12 Girls please view their Team Page.

Our U15's Roam The West

On Sunday our U15's played their final tournament of the Summer.  It was their fifth tournament (all played as last season's U14's) but rather than face the usual crowds, they decided to roam far and wide! Their furthest tournament was Ilchester, just outside of Yeovil and then they slowly returned until Sunday, which was in Bath. Their exploits are available to read about on the Club Facebook page with posts from each location, and a short Tournament Report, however there is also a Photo page of each squad as well as  Program page from each tournament. For more on the U15's please view their Team Page.

Fry Club JFC held their annual award ceremonies at Somerdale Pavilion to recognise and reward this year's end of season winners on Saturday 11th and Friday 17th June 2022.  Unfortunately the U15's were unable to receive their Awards on their day and so met up a few weeks later where they celebrated another season.  To view the U15 Winners please click on the link.  For photos of the rest of the Club Presentation Winners, click on that link or you can look back at Past Club Winners back to 2002 along with a few before that.

Showcase Saturday - U11 Girls

Showcase Saturday looking back to last season and our U11 Girls as they were put through their Saturday training session.  The Girls have been together for a few years and are heading towards their U12 year, looking forwards to next season. Photos of the Girls are available to view and for more on the Girls teams, simply click the Team links.

Showcase Saturday - U8 Girls Mascots

Showcase Saturday looking back to when our U8 Girls with a few of the U9 Girls were mascots for the first ever women's match to be held at the Memorial Stadium.  Bristol Rovers Women took on Forest Green Rovers Women in a great encounter in which Forest Green took the lead, but Bristol Rovers came back strongly and ran out eventual winners 3-1.  Fry Club JFC were also promoting #HerGameToo and were a great example for all and our Club were very proud to have them represent us. Photos of the Girls are available to view and for more on the Girls teams, simply click the Team links.

Fry Club JFC held their annual award ceremonies at Somerdale Pavilion to recognise and reward this year's end of season winners on Saturday 11th and Friday 17th June 2022.  The usual Club Awards were on offer; the Skill Award (up to U11), the Penalty Award, the Sportsperson and Player of the Year, the Stan Taylor five year loyalty tie, the Les Stroud ten year loyalty tankard, as well as every player receiving a memento of their season.  For photos of the Presentation Winners, click on the link and you can look back at Past Club Winners back to 2002 along with a few before that.

Fry Club JFC have become a partner Club with #HerGameToo. #HerGameToo are a group of female supporters who are passionate about football and are working to eradicate sexism in the football industry. They want women and girls of all ages to feel confident and safe sharing their opinion about football both online and in real life without fear of sexist abuse and who are committed to growing the campaign with the aim of fostering an ethos in football in which women are welcomed and respected equally. For more on the Girls, visit their Team pages or the main Girl's Section page. We currently have Wildcats, U8's, U9's, U10's, U11's and U13's.

Fry Club JFC Girl's section undertook a fantastic fundraising effort on Saturday 7th May as they ran and walked at Somerdale, as a group covering the distance between Keynsham and Paris; a total of 650 kilometres.  Our Girl's section has about 100 girls, so each girl averaged 6.5 kilometres each. Half of the money raised will go to the Children's Hospice South West and the other half to the Girl's section of Fry Club JFC and some of the Hospice representatives were there to join in. If you would like to support this very worthwhile effort, please visit the Crowdfunding Page where we are hoping to raise £2500. For more on the Girls, visit their Team pages or the main Girl's Section page. We currently have Wildcats, U8's, U9's, U10's, U11's and U13's.

On April 3rd, some of Fry Club JFC U8's and U9's Girl's section went to Ashton Gate to watch Bristol City host the Champions elect Liverpool in the FA Women's Championship. It was a key match with Liverpool coming out on top 4-2, and in doing so, securing the title from City who were their closest rivals, and with it, promotion back to the FA Women's Super League. The girls had a fantastic time as can be seen from some of the photos, with one girl even getting a shirt! For more on the Girls, visit their U8's or U9's Team pages.

Teaching The Players In Different Ways

Recently, Fry Club JFC U14's tried out something completely different.  They assembled the players in the main bar at Somerdale Pavilion and went through a series of clips on a big screen showing various scenarios and training routines and discussed them in an attempt to teach the boys in a different way.  There were also some fun football videos there and everyone seemed to enjoy the evening. For more on the U14's, visit their Team Page.

Two Fry Club JFC Girl's players came face to face recently as their schools faced each other.  It was a good natured, end to end affair and at the end of it, the two players remembered their Club loyalty and friendships were maintained. For more on the Girls, visit their Team pages or the main Girl's Section page. We currently have Wildcats, U8's, U9's, U10's, U11's and U13's.

Fry Club JFC old boy Aaron Sutton continues his progress as a Professional Boxer by winning his first title - Southern Area Middleweight Champion, on 26th March.  Aaron will defend his title on May 14th in Bristol. Aaron had a long and distinguished career for Frys before moving on to the the pugilistic arts, and we follow his career with pride. Aaron played for Frys for ten years, playing for his age group's Colts team, and receiving his Les Stroud 10 Year Award in 2015. For more on his Fight Career, click the link.

Fry Club JFC continue to invest in our players and another infrastructure purchase is a large secure container which will amongst other things allow us to keep our Portable Lights safe, secure and readily available. This was delivered last month and will eventually allow each team to store their relevant training equipment close at hand.  To see some images of the delivery, click on the Container link.

Fry Club JFC Girl's section are undertaking a fantastic fundraising effort. On the 7th May they are going to be a doing a run/walk at Somerdale and will as a group cover the distance between Keynsham and Paris; a total of 650 kilometres.  Our Girl's section has about 100 girls, so each girl will average 6.5 kilometres each, however with girls from 4 to 13, the distances will be staggered to suit. Half of the money raised will go to the Children's Hospice South West and the other half to the Girl's section of Fry Club JFC. If you would like to support this very worthwhile effort, please visit the Crowdfunding Page. For more on the Girls, visit their Team pages or the main Girl's Section page. We currently have Wildcats, U8's, U9's, U10's, U11's and U13's.

Fry Club JFC are saddened to learn of the passing of Jeff Garland.  Jeff brought his son Joe along to the Club during the 1995-96 season and stayed for the next 13 years, getting involved in three Teams, firstly the original with Glen Welsh & Dave Gooding, then as U18's Jeff took the lead with Dave supporting, before finally taking over a Team when a Manager pulled out, again with Dave Gooding, then Wayne May.  Jeff was an infectious character, instantly recognisable and will be sadly missed by all at Fry Club JFC. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.

Fry Club JFC have invested heavily in our players and one of the infrastructure supports is a set of portable lights, which allow us to train on grass through the Winter, and more to areas not affected by the rain. In past years we were hampered by the requirement of having to stay under fixed lights which soon became too boggy to use, or train elsewhere on astro and 3G/4G.  Now we have these, it keeps the costs down for our girls and boys and allows them to train on the most realistic surface, all year around. Recently, the U14's made use of it for the first time  and have been massively impressed. For more on the U14's, visit their Team Page.

We at Fry Club JFC are determined to create a safe space for all of our girls and boys to play.  As such when Somerdale Pavilion approached us to help out with the installation of a new defibrillator we had no hesitation in supporting them.  We, along with Red Falcon were the major contributors, as well as Fry Club FC, FC Bathelona, Socius Utd and Red Star FC. Also chipping in from the non-footballing front were Taverners CC (cricket) and Bristol Baseball Club.  All of the contributing Clubs were happy to help out as we all call Somerdale our Home, and know how important a defibrillator can be.  To mark the occasion the local paper The Week In covered it with a photo and an article with our long-serving Treasurer Mark Yeoman representing the Club, and Ben Geracitano, the co-founder of Red Falcon representing them.