Joining the Club as a Player

IMPORTANT

If you are interested in joining the club, you must first make contact with the Club Secretary or the relevant Team Manager to confirm whether or not there is an opportunity to join a particular age group. Click here and scroll down for the Team Manager Contact Numbers.

We follow safeguarding best practice which recommends specific ratios of adults to children for each age group, so our ability to accept new members is naturally guided by the number of volunteers that we have. 

New players will usually attend training prior to being invited to join the Club.

In the primary school years, we try to recruit more players and grow all squads. This is because with more players the Club will be able to offer more teams within an age group and therefore be better able to align players to a team that is best suited to their capability and development needs.

We will recruit players in a number of ways including encouraging word of mouth amongst parents and players, using social media and working in partnership with local schools.

By the time an age group plays 11-a-side football (U13s), we would like to be able to sustain two teams for the remainder of their youth football journey with each team competing at the best possible level.  We know this is an ambitious objective that can only be achieved if the Club is able to recruit enough players and volunteers during the primary school years.

In the secondary school years, players will be recruited according to the needs of the existing teams, and the recruitment of players and the size of the squad will be determined by the Team Manager.

SUMMER TRAINING 2026 for all teams will be held in Read village, either on the Read Recreation Ground or Read St John’s Primary School field, as follows (age groups shown are for the 2025/26 season):

WINTER TRAINING 2026/27 – will be held at the following facilities (NOT YET CONFIRMED):

Player Membership & Fees

All Players must join the Club as a member before they can play for a team.

Once a player has joined the club, we will, where applicable, register the player with the Football Association and the East Lancashire Football Alliance.

IMPORTANT:  All players must provide a recent (taken within the last 12mths) digital photograph (head and shoulders only) and a digital copy of their passport or birth certificate in order to verify their visual identity and age.

Where parents are unable to complete the joining process online, a paper based process may be used for which the Parent should contact the Club Secretary or Team Manager.

If a child is not living with their parent(s), carer(s) or legal guardian(s) applicants should contact the Club Secretary to clarify the legal status of the child and provide details of the child’s current carers.

The Club cares about the health and wellbeing of its members and wants to know how it can help Players who may have particular needs or health conditions. Questions concerning health, communication, religion and photography / filming are therefore included in the club membership process. The Club will hold any such information to help ensure the Player’s safety and wellbeing and this will be kept confidential and managed in line with the Club’s Data Protection Policy.

Player membership fees for the 2025/26 season are £240, which can be paid with a monthly standing order for £20/mth for twelve months. Payments should be paid no later than the 25th of each month, to the following account:

Membership Form

Parents must complete the following Membership Form for each player joining the Club and submit with it a digital passport style photograph of the player and, where requested, a digital copy of the player’s passport or birth certificate.

Once a player has joined the Club, the Team’s Player Registration Officer will ensure, where applicable, that the player is properly registered with the Football Association and approved by the relevant league.

Please Note: A Membership Form must be completed annually, for each and every season that your child plays with the club.