CHARTER STANDARD

CELEBRATION DINNER

Friday 30 November
 
It was celebration time for the Huddersfield RCD Junior League in November when Sir Trevor Brooking took time out from selecting the new England Team Manager to join the party as the League hosted a celebration Dinner to herald its new status as a Charter Standard League.
 

Trevor Cherry (front left) and Sir Trevor Brooking (front 2nd left) with League Officials and Guests
 
The event, which was attended by almost 100 Guests and Club Officials, was held at the West Riding County FA HQ in Woodlesford to mark the Football Associations recognition that the Huddersfield RCD League is now a Charter Standard League.

Sir Trevor with Yorkshire Lions' Davis Dyer
 
As a league for young footballers, such celebrations are normally confined to the players but, on this occasion, it has been the Club Secretaries, Officials and Team Managers who have put in a great deal of time, money and effort to ensure that all the league’s full member clubs provide qualified coaching, child protection and first aid facilities thus ensuring that players and parents can join local clubs knowing that they all maintain minimum standards of care as set down by the Football Association.
 
The league, which ranks as one of the biggest in the country, currently has some 96 clubs running almost 600 teams in the league but, over the 4 years since the scheme was introduced, over 120 clubs and over 800 teams have attained Charter Standard which makes the achievement even more remarkable.
 

Kath Kingdom (left) & Avril Bissett with Sir Trevor
Sir Trevor was clearly determined to attend the event despite his busy schedule.   After watching England’s under 16’s win over Scotland at Falkirk on Thursday evening, he was transported by the FA to attend a private event in Great Yarmouth on Friday morning before catching a train back North in time for the League Dinner – and afterwards the FA sent a private car to transport him back to London for a meeting on Saturday morning.
 
The impressive guest list included West Riding County FA President Peter Marsden, Chairman Bob Secker and Chief Executive Roy Carter and Sheffield & Hallamshire were represented by Chief Executive James Hope-Gill.
 
Also on the guest list was ex. Huddersfield Town, Leeds United and England player, Trevor Cherry who, along with co-director Tim Sugden represented RCD (Ramsden Colne Developments) who are the main sponsors of the league.
 
The event also provided the two Trevor’s (Brooking and Cherry) with a chance to talk over old times as the pair not only played together side by side for England but also against each other, for while Cherry was playing for Huddersfield, Brooking was playing with Moore, Hurst and Peters at West Ham United and when Trevor Cherry introduced Trevor Brooking he couldn’t help reminding the audience of the famous 1972 FA Cup scoreline – Huddersfield Town 4,  West Ham United  2.
 
Another special guest was ex. Huddersfield Examiner Sports Reporter Graham Turton who, along with League Secretary Eric Kershaw, has had the responsibility of producing the highly popular Examiner 4 page Junior Sport pull out which features Huddersfield RCD Junior League games almost every Tuesday throughout the season.

Sir Trevor Brooking (3rd left) with FA Equity Ambassador Yunus Lunat (right0 and members of Mount Pleasant JFC
  
In an after dinner address Sir Trevor said. “The FA has been promoting the Charter Standard scheme for some years now and it has been very successful but to see a complete League achieve it is amazing.  It’s brilliant to see so many people prepared to make an extra effort ensure the players can enjoy their football in a safe environment”
 
In toasting the League's achievement West Riding President Peter Marsden commented. “I had serious doubts about the League’s ability to pull off such a mammoth feat but, when I witnessed their cup finals days where no fewer than 10 finals are played over 2 days without a hitch, I had no doubt they could achieve their goal."
 
And League President Laurie Platt said. “It’s one of the greatest days in the league’s 35 year history.” “We couldn’t have done it without the full and unanimous support of the clubs – It’s their day and their achievement” 
 
FA Equality Ambassador Yunus Lunat said. “It’s been a terrific evening and the league deserves credit for all the hard work”

Trevor Cherry (front left) and Sir Trevor Brooking (front 2nd left) with members of Yorkshire Lions FC