Club Officials

Great Bentley Youth FC is run by a group of volunteers who share a common interest in ensuring youths have the opportunity to learn and play football in a safe and friendly environment.

The committee is a made up of a representation of those volunteers. Committee meetings take place on a monthly basis, are minuted and held in an open forum where anybody is welcome to attend and ask questions. All accounts are kept up to date and availble for review upon request.

Our club constitutions details the guidelines as to how we operate details can be found here.

For further details please contact:

Chairman Rob Siddons 07534 527399
Secretary Tony Nash 07867 748184
Fixture Secretary Ellis Obia 07966 975290
Sponsorship Cliff Warder 07977 044526
Treasurer Zoe Young
Child Welfare Officer Zita Obia 07809 694342
Child Welfare Officer Helen Robinson 07767 667911
Child Welfare Officer Scott Young 07762 572035
Charter Standard Officer Scott Young 07762 572035
Fundraising VACANCY

Mission and Plan

Our long-term mission is to build a legacy for the future where the youths of today will feel wanted and proud to be part of the community, will want to continue to be a part of the football club and play for the senior teams and ultimately want to contribute back into the youths of the future. However this is a long-term vision, for today the objectives for all those involved is to provide a safe and enjoyable environment where the children will, whilst learning and playing football, have FUN.
In forming the club we set out a plan to organically grow the club through the introduction of a new age group each season. This has worked in the whole although we do find we have a couple of gaps due to lack of coaching resource and other reasons outside of the clubs control. As we enter the 2016 / 17 season we will be ahead of our original aims and will this season enter into the Colchester and District Youth Football League the following teams:

Under 8's - 2 teams playing 7 v 7 mini-soccer
Under 10's - 1 team playing 7 v 7 mini-soccer
Under 11's - 2 teams playing 9 v 9 soccer
Under 12's - 2 teams playing 9 v 9 soccer
Under 15's - 2 teams playing 11 v 11

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FA Charter Standard Development Club

Great Bentley Youth FC has always made the commitment to continue to look to improve on the high standards we operate and conduct both on and off the field. From day one we set the club up to enable continued growth and improvement, following the guidelines stipulated by The Football Association. In January 2006, 4 months after the club was formed, we were awarded the the FA Charter Standard. This was a key aim of all involved Great Bentley Youth FC has always made the commitment to continue to look to improve on the high standards we operate and conduct both on and off the field. From day one we set the club up to enable continued growth and improvement, following the guidelines stipulated by The Football Association. In January 2006, 4 months after the club was formed, we were awarded the the FA Charter Standard. This was a key aim of all involved in the setting up of the club as we all felt this was important as this would form the basis of how the club is to be run.

However we did not want to stop there. In 2009 the committee set a target of achieving the next level of accreditation, The FA Charter Standard Development Club. This involved investing in coachesÂ’ ability to attain FA Level 2 accreditation, expand the committee to include key roles such as Child Welfare Officer, build on our relationships with local schoolsl. This was then documented in our development plan that we have continued to evolve for day one.

The result of this is that on January 29th 2010, Essex FA notified us that we had met the criteria and achieve accreditation, 1 of only 17 clubs in Essex ( see Essex FA website ). Congratulations and thanks must go out to all involved especially Scott Young who took the lead on this and also to Ian Bent, Essex County FA Club Development Officer for his help and support. For further details regarding the FA Charter Standard please click here

However it doesn't end there, we shall continue to review, modify and enhance the way we operate and strive to improve where possible throughout the club.

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Great Bentley Football Club

Despite Great Bentley Football Club (GBFC) being established for over 100 years, there had never been a Youth team until now. The following is a brief history as to how Great Bentley has got to where it is today. For more information about GBFC here

1895-1896Club formed with HQ at the Victory Inn, and a pitch on the South side of the Green.
1901-1902 Affiliated to ECFA and played first competitive game in Essex Junior Cup, losing 3-0 to Parkeston Athletic.
1903-1904 Joined Colchester & District League, Division 2.
1905-1906 Switched to Clacton & District League.
1906-1907 Played in both leagues.
1907-1908 Withdrew from Colchester League, but when Clacton League was too late in affiliating Bentley were forced to play friendlies, and lost several of their best players. Continued to play friendlies and cup games until 1 st World War.
1912-1913 Moved HQ across the road to the Plough Inn, where the dressing room was in the old stable.
1919-1920 Joined the Tendring Hundred League. Started a Reserve side, which later played in the Tendring Hundred League and then the Brightlingsea and District League.
1924-1925 1st Team won the Tendring Hundred League.
1925-1926 Joined the Border League, Division 2, Section B, and have enjoyed unbroken membership of the League ever since.
1928-1929 Won Division 2.
1930-1931 Runners-up in Division 2.
1931-1932 Won Division 2.
1935-1936 Runners-up in Division 2. Reserves joined Border League, Division 3 until 2 nd World Ward.
1936-1937 1st Team won Division 2.
1946-1947 Reserves joined Tendring Hundred League.
1947-1948 1st Team won Division 1. Runners-up in Division 1 KO up.
1948-1949 Runners-up Division 1 KO Cup.
1949-1950 Reserved joined Colchester & East Essex League.
1950-1951 1st Team were runners-up in Division 1.
Sept 1951 The club played its first game on the current prepared pitch near the Mill House.
1952-1953 Runners-up in Division 1.
1953-1954 Reserves rejoined the Tendring Hundred League until its demise.
1957-1958 1st team won Division 1 KO Cup on an 11-3 aggregate again Hedingham United.
1959-1960 Opened new dressing rooms, built on the site of an old war-time Nissen hut. These were much nearer the pitch than the Plough, where both teams had to change in the same room, round a full-size billiard table.
1967-1968 Reserves joined Colchester & East Essex League until 1975-1976 when they joined the Border League.
1977-1978 1st Team were runners-up in Division 1, but their facilities were not good enough for promotion.
1980-1981 Runners-up in Division 1 again, and this time promoted.
1983-1984 Relegated after spending their only three seasons ever in the Premier Division.
1984-1985 Relegated from Division 1, after finishing bottom.
1987-1988 Reserves failed in bid for re-election after coming bottom of Division 3, four times in a row, and have played in the Colchester League since then.
1989-1990 Third place good enough for 1 st Team to be promoted to Division 1.
1991-1992 Relegated to Division 2, where they still play.
1994-1995 Runners-up in the Tommy Thompson Cup. Area Finalists in the Essex Junior Cup finished 3rd and promoted to the Border Premier League.
2006-2007 A Team Formed.
2007-2008 A Team Runners up in Lexden Cup.
2009-2010 Runners-up in Harwich Charity Cup.
2009-2010 Clubhouse and changing rooms refurbished.
2011-2012 Reserve Cup Runners up and Tommy Thompson Cup Runners Up
2014-2015 First Team-Withdrawn from Premier division / Veterans Team -  Formed & League runners up
2015-2016 Veterans Team - League runners up and Winners of fair play award.
2016-2017 First Team - Division Two Border League Winners / Reserve team - Reformed. Boxted Six a Side Winners.  
2017-2018 First team - Border League Divison One Winners./ Veterans Runners Up North Essex Cup.

Some of Great Bentley's Leading Lights over the Years

P Z Clark, founder member of the Club, who had spells as Captain, Secretary and Chairman, before becoming a referee. Joe Syrett, larger than life Secretary, whose enthusiasm helped to rejuvenate the Club's ailing fortunes prior to World War 1. George A Cowell, a Club Member since 1900, Mr Cowell went on to hold the key positions of the Secretary and then Treasurer, right up to his death in 1947. George Seaman, long-serving player from 1919 - 1920, captained the side to success in the Tendring Hundred League and the Border League. George held office as Secretary, then after the 2 nd World Ward, Vice-Chairman and Treasurer, until 1957. David Plummer, began as a player in 1932 and elected as Vice-Chairman in 1948, Chairman in 1951, and Secretary in 1959, until he stood down in 1967. Pat Hynes, Secretary from 1946 to 1959, Pat was a key figure in Bentley's move to a new pitch, and later, new dressing rooms. Richard Morton, in more recent times, was Chairman for over twenty years, taking on the position when the club was going through turbulent times, and helping to steer them into much calmer waters.

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Child Safeguarding

Great Bentley Youth FC acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of every child and young person who has been entrusted to its care and is committed to working to provide a safe environment for all members. A child or young person is anyone under the age of 18 engaged in any club football activity. We subscribe to the Football Association's child protection and best practice policy and procedures and endorse and adopt the policy statement contained in that document.

All coaches attending the F.A. Level 1 coaching course are trained in the best practices in ensuring a child's welfare is not put at risk.

All Current Great Bentley Youth FC members with direct access to children and young people will be required to complete a CRB Enhanced Disclosure via The FA CRB Unit.

Great Bentley Youth FC has appointed a Club Welfare Officer (CWO) in line with the FA's role profile and required completion of the child protection workshop. The post holder will be involved with designated person's training provided by The FA. The CWO is the first point of contact for all club members and parents or guardians regarding concerns for the welfare of any child or young person. They will liaise directly with the CFA CPO and will be familiar with the procedures for referring any concerns. They will also play a proactive role in increasing the awareness of poor practice and abuse amongst club members.

Full details of the clubs policy is provided within the membership pack, alternatively a copy can be downloaded here

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