The main focus of football development is to increase participation and junior club membership. This includes raising standards of football in schools and improving community club links through the School Accreditation Scheme and developing the infrastructure of local junior clubs through the Club Accreditation Scheme. 

We also have a Women and Girls Football development programme developing a schools and junior club coaching programme to promote participation of the game at 6 – 16 years. An extensive coach education programme has been created to help coaches gain their football coaching awards.

Aims

The Broad aims of the County Football Department are:

1. to increase participation in Association Football amongst Boys and Girls of School Age.
2. to raise the standard of play in order to support the future success of National teams.
   

Background

The posts are a joint initiative between Denbighshire County Council and Football Association of Wales (FAW) Trust – Technical Department.
The County has 2 Welsh Premier League teams Rhyl FC and Prestatyn Town FC and 2 Football Academies for Talented boy and girls players who play against other academies across Wales.

With the history of Football within the area there is a great deal of structured activity currently taking place in the area and therefore it’s the development Officers role to ensure that current and future activities fit into the National strategy for Football within Wales.

The National Programme consists of 5 main programme areas:

1. Area Football

The objective of which is to increase participation in association Football amongst all children of school age.
The key partners within the area are, Fun Centre and Fun week programmes), Denbighshire County Council (infant/primary school accreditation programme), Dragon Sport, local schools, Community Clubs and Leisure Centres.

Denbighshire has its own Women and Girls Football Development Officer. The objective is to increase opportunities specifically for women and girls to participate in Football and link them into existing structures
With the assistance of Welsh Football Trust School + Club Accreditation program and Dragon Sport.  Denbighshire currently has 5 clubs playing within the North Wales Girls League.

3. Coach Education Programme

The objective is to recruit, train and develop coaches to support the development of players.

Locally the all the foundation level courses are available, with guidance of how to access further courses from C licence to Professional diploma.

4. Player Development Programme

The objective is to identify and support talented players to develop their potential.

Due to the number of bodies with a vested interest in this area a Player Development Forum for the area has been set up to ensure that the players best interests are met. Representatives from NWCFA, Rhyl and District Youth Football League (RDYFL) Welsh Football Trust, Denbighshire County Council (DCC), Welsh Schools' Football Association (WSFA) Primary and Secondary, Rhyl FC and Prestatyn Town FC.

The objective is to raise the provision for players within their Junior Clubs through criteria set out in the Club Accreditation Programme. This involves working closely with the RDYFL and identified clubs.

Frequently Asked Questions

I receive a number of enquiries on a daily basis about Football. Below are ways in which you may be able to obtain the frequently requested information:

How can I join a club?

For information on the local Youth League contact Rhyl and District Youth Football League.

Where can I my child attend holiday and fun football centre’s?

Contact Football Development Officer on 01824 712709/10

How do I become a coach?

For information on local and national Coach Education courses contact the Football Association of Wales (FAW) Trust.

You can access further information on the programme areas through the FAW Trust web site.