SAFIB Meeting January 2013 

For information the draft minutes are printed below

*Draft*
Schools’ Association Football International Board

Minutes of the SAFIB Winter Meeting on Friday 18th January 2013
at Helsinki, commencing 14.30hrs

Delegates in attendance:
Keith James (SAFIB Chairman)
Nigel Brown (SAFIB Vice-Chairman)
Rod Houston (SAFIB Secretary/Treasurer)
Dave Woollaston (SAFIB Assistant Secretary)


Abigail Jacobs (The FA)
John Read (ESFA)
Alex Harkin (FAIS/FAI)
Robert Nesbit (NISFA)
David Gilchrist (SSFA)
Alex McMenemy (SSFA)
Mark Wotte (SFA)
Scott Booth (SFA)
David Nickless (WSFA)
Peter Lee (FAW Trust)
Gavin Reen (FAW Trust)
Mario Margreiter (Oesterreichischer FB, Austria)
Marc van Geersom (Koninklijke Belgische V.B, Belgium)
Teet Allas (Eesti Jalgpalli Liit, Estonia)
Joonas Vilkki (Suomen Pallolitto, Finland).
Ville Sairanen (Suomen Pallolitto, Finland)
Matthias Eiles (DFB, Germany)
Walter Fricke (DFB, Germany)
Christian Pijpers (Koninklijke Nederlandsche V.B, Holland)
Orit Raz (Israel FA).
Thomas Sporri (ASF-SFV, Switzerland)



Apologies
Apologies for Absence were received from Jim Boyce (FIFA/UEFA), Adrian Bevington (the FA), Tony Ambrose (New Zealand Secondary Schools FA), Jeroen Roest (Koninklijke Nederlandsche V.B, Holland), Edward Potok (PZPN – Polish FA), Lukasz Sojski (PZPN – Polish FA), David Vailing (Slovenski Futbalovy Svaz, Slovakia), Jean Claude Guintini (Federation Francaise de Football, France) & Mairead Collins (FAIS)

The meeting was informed that Mairead Collins was unable to attend as she was awaiting urgent surgery. The meeting took the opportunity to wish Mairead well for her operation and for a speedy return to health; Alex Harkin agreed to pass on the meeting’s best wishes.

1. Welcome
In welcoming representatives to the meeting, Keith made particular welcome to those attending for the first time, expressing the hope that they enjoyed the experience. Keith went on to thanks Joonas Vilkki & Ville Sairanen for all their hard work in making arrangements for the meeting

2. Minutes of 2012 AGM in Burton on Trent (Previously circulated)
The minutes were reviewed and considered a true and accurate record of the 2012 AGM.

3. Matters Arising
There were two items of business
a) Referees for Centenary Shield Matches – the meeting was informed that the Executive Committee decided to continue with current arrangements, although the possibility of using neutral referees as part of a funded development programme remains open, subject to suitable financial arrangements
b) Player Eligibility for Centenary Shield – the meeting accepted the Executive Committee’s recommendation that player eligibility for this be based on being in full-time school education and Under 18 Years of Age on 1st January in the year in which the competition commences. The Secretary is to revise the competition conditions in suitable terms.

4. Executive Committee
The meeting was informed of, and agreed to implement, the recommendations from the Executive Committee which had met earlier that day:
1. Structure & Content of SAFIB Meetings – the meetings would take place over two days and include the following basic structure –
• Day 1 – Morning – Executive Committee Meeting
• Day 1 - Afternoon – Board Business Meeting
• Day 2 – Morning – Seminar on Theme Agreed between Host Association(s) and Executive Committee
2. Seminar Framework –
• Opening Part – key theme presentation
• Middle Part – split into small discussion groups
• Closing Part – plenary session when groups report back
The Host Association would be at liberty to invite other participants/contributors to the seminar.
A Seminar Report would then be drafted and circulated at a later stage.
3. Relationship with UEFA – that SAFIB should seek to develop its relationship with UEFA, utilising the good offices and support of Jim Boyce, with the Secretary instigating matters by contacting Jim Boyce
4. Levels of Donation – that donations should be £500 per year from Associations taking part in SAFIB competitions and €200 for other Associations, restricted to €100 per year for the first three years of membership.


5. Competitions
Sky Sports Victory Shield 2012-13

This season’s competition resulted in the following:
Thursday 27th September – N Ireland 0-5 England – Stangmore Pk, Dungannon
Friday 5th October - Scotland 2-0 Wales – Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen
Friday 26th October - Scotland 1-2 N Ireland – Palmerston Park, Dumfries
Thursday 1st November - Wales 0-1 England – Port Talbot Town FC
Friday 23rd November - N Ireland 1-1 Wales - Ballymena
Thursday 29th November - England 1-0 Scotland – Burton Albion

Table
Country    P W D L F A Pts
England    3  3 0 0  7 0 9
N Ireland  3  1 1 1  3 7 4
Scotland   3  1 0 2  3 3 3
Wales       3  0 1 2  1 4 1

The meeting congratulated England on its success and was pleased to hear favourable feedback from BSkyB on the viewer reaction to coverage. The meeting noted the need to include a section on registered playing kit and procedure in the event of a clash of colours in future protocols for the competition. The Secretary was instructed to make the appropriate amendments.

Sky Sports Victory Shield 2013-14
The Secretary informed the meeting that negotiations on dates for the 2013-14 competition were not yet finalised. He indicated that the dates should be finalised in the near future and that the outcome would be included in the minutes and is as follows:
Fri 4th October - England v Wales
Fri 18th October - N Ireland v Scotland
Fri 1st November - Wales v Scotland
Fri 8th November - England v N Ireland
Fri 22nd November - Wales v N Ireland
Fri 29th November - Scotland v England


Centenary Shield 2012-13
The following schedule of games was reported to the meeting:
Friday 22nd February NISFA v SSFA at Dungannon
Friday 1st March ESFA v WSFA at Lincoln City FC
Friday 8th March ESFA v NISFA at Plymouth Argyle FC
Friday 15th March WSFA v SSFA at Bangor
Friday 15th March NISFA v FAIS at Institute, Drumahoe
Wednesday 27th March SSFA v FAIS at Fraserburgh
Friday 5th April FAIS v WSFA in Dublin
Friday 12th April SSFA v ESFA at McDiarmid Park, Perth
Friday 19th April WSFA v NISFA at Llanelli
Friday 26th April FAIS v ESFA at Cork

The meeting noted that kick-offs would be 19.00.


Other tournaments
U15 Girls Tournament - Bob Docherty Cup
This event is due to take place in Belfast on 1-4 April 2013. The IFA has been in touch to inform SAFIB that it is unable to provide a sixth team for the competition. After some discussion, the meeting decided to:
1. Make one further effort to find a team from another country to take part in the event – the Assistant Secretary to undertake this task
2. Otherwise run the event as a four day round robin competition with the Secretary making arrangements.

Inter-Schools Football – British Isles U14 Schools Championship for the Allen McKinstry Cup
The SSFA intimated that it is pleased to host this event, which will take place in the Glasgow area on 24th-26th May 2013. In view of the lack of interest from elsewhere, the SSFA will provide two school teams for the competition.

6. SAFIB AGM 2013
The SSFA and SFA confirmed their hosting the 2013 AGM, probably in the Glasgow area. The meeting will take place on 13-14 September 2013, using the format agreed earlier in this meeting. The theme for the seminar will be Performance Schools, their relationship to education, to professional clubs and to other elements of football.

7. SAFIB Meeting January 2014
Marc van Geersom was pleased to reaffirm the KBVB invitation to SAFIB Colleagues to meet in Belgium on 18-19 January 2013, when the seminar theme will be Provision for Late Developers.

8. AOCB
a) Matthias Eiles informed the meeting of his work with the United Nations Association and its possibilities for football. The meeting agreed that it was interested in the matter and awaited further information from Matthias.
b) Mark Wotte asked if any Association was interested in arranging development games for U14 Futures players and to contact him at the SFA if there was interest.


In closing the meeting at 16.25, Keith James thanked all present for their contributions.


Rod Houston
January 2013

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