Junior/Youth Footballers

As the age range increases it is likely that your child will need to join an existing team rather than being part of a start-up side. Most teams these days tend to start life at under 8/under 9 and then grow up together.

If your child is looking to join a new team it is wise to try and do this before the start of the season. By the time the season starts most teams will have a settled squad of players and it could prove difficult to break in. One of the manager's ongoing dilemmas is having the right size squad to give all their players the chance to play every week.

You will need to identify suitable teams and then see if your child can go along. Most teams will welcome players for pre-season training which provides a good opportunity to assess whether your child will enjoy playing for a particular team.