Uley AFC runs three teams in the Stroud League, the first team plays in Division Three, the second team plays in Division Six and the third team which is a development team for younger players aged 16 or above plays in Division Seven.
Uley Juniors is organised for young players, male or female, from the age of six to 15. Uley Juniors, have training sessions from 10am to 11am on Saturday mornings at Shadwell.
Each team has a manager and an assistant manager to run the team which consists of 14 players; 11 that start the match and three substitutes who are able to replace the starting team’s players as and when the manager thinks it appropriate.
We have a committee of 12 people who run the club. There are four executive officers who organise the day to day operations of the club. Myself (Mike Clarke) as chairperson, Steve King as secretary, Jonathan Hughes as treasurer and Simon Cross, senior vice-chairman. The executive officers together have logged over 100 years as members of Uley AFC.
The management committee of the club consists of the above plus Tracy Hill our Social and Fund-Raising Secretary with Lee Hill acting as our Development Officer. Dave Hill, who is our groundsman, and the team managers and their assistants are also on this committee. Nathan Pretty and Mark Bassington represent Uley Juniors.
The club was founded in 1898 and we have a plaque from the English FA marking the club’s centenary in 1998 on the hall wall in the new pavilion.
Uley AFC welcomes any support on a Saturday afternoon at Shadwell. The club represents the village on the football field so a few shouts of encouragement are good for morale. The first and second teams play at Shadwell with the third team using Nypmsfield’s pitch for their games. The firsts and thirds play in blue (Uley Blue being the inspiration for the choice). The seconds play in yellow with a blue flash. Matches kick-off at 2.30pm during September and October of a new season. The kick-off changes to 2pm for November, December, January and February and then revert to 2.30pm for March.
Weather permitting Dave Hill takes training for 16s and over at Shadwell on Tuesday evenings. New players are always welcomed. The sessions begin at 7pm and finish at approximately 9pm. However, very wet or frosty weather may cause the session to be cancelled. Regular attendees to the sessions will be notified via the club’s private Facebook page of any cancellation. Any person interested can just turn up on the night, make themselves known and participate. Players must be 16 or over to play Stroud League football.
Saturday morning is for younger players, male or female, between 6 to 15 years. However, no-one is turned away and we have some 4-year-olds taking part. The players do not need to have previous experience of football. Parents are welcome to stay and watch but if they have something else to do I can give assurance that the children are well looked in a safe enclosed-field environment. Mark Bassington or Nathan Pretty are present at Shadwell at 9.45am to welcome newcomers to the sessions. These sessions run throughout the football season but are cancelled if the weather is very cold or wet.
My home phone number is 01453 545426 and I am happy to talk about the club. The phone has an answerphone to take messages. If I am not available at the time of calling I will return the call if a contact number is left. I am reluctant to give out mobile phone numbers for other club members as contacts because calls can become intrusive if made while the recipient is at work. When new players sign on for the club they are ‘befriended’ by a club member so the player has access to the club’s private Facebook page.
Anyone who would like to monitor the progress of the teams can visit the Stroud League website http://www.stroudleague.co.uk/ which has a link to the Gloucestershire Football Association. The GFA website produces results and league tables for the Stroud League.
Mike Clarke
November 2016