November 2026 newsletter

Welcome to November

Muddy boots, frosty mornings and dark evenings — November football is in full swing. Our U6s are a fresh new intake this year, and it's been a joy watching them build and develop week by week. Across the age groups we've had plenty more close battles, tight games and excellent results — and plenty of encouraging performances to go with them. Thank you to every coach, team manager, parent helper, sponsor and volunteer who makes it happen — everything at AYFC is run by volunteers.

Coach me, I will learn. Challenge me, I will improve. Believe in me, I will grow.

Remembrance Sunday

Our teams marked Remembrance Sunday with a minute's silence before kick-off and poppies on their shirts. Thank you to every player, coach and family who took part — we will remember them.

Around the club

Ref & linesman training — a great start

Our first free ref & linesman training session took place on Saturday 17 October at Manor House — and it was a great turnout, with parents, players and volunteers all giving up their Saturday morning to learn the basics of refereeing and running the line. Even the weather played its part: a bright, dry morning, and tea and coffee to keep everyone going.

Big thanks to Martin Dean for leading the session and to everyone who came along. Matches need a referee — and as the players get older, linesmen too — so the more of us trained, the more games we can run for the kids, without leaning on the same few volunteers every week.

The next session has moved to Saturday 14 November, 10:30am at Manor House — everyone welcome, no experience needed.

Fireworks night — thank you

Thank you to everyone who came along to the parish fireworks night on Friday 6 November — and especially to Lisa Brown and Leanne Creamer for a fabulous job making and serving the sweets. The stall was a great success and a brilliant boost for the club.

Quiz night — Friday 20 November

Get a team together and join us for the club quiz night on Friday 20 November at Manor House — doors 7pm for a 7:30pm start. Teams, prizes and all the details will be shared on the club WhatsApp group soon.

In the local news — litter-picking heroes

Our U11s made the local news after collecting three bin bags of rubbish from Manor House Park at the end of a training session. The litter pick, on 19 September, marked National Litter Picking Week, with the players clearing bottles and other rubbish from behind the skatepark.

Residents on the Abbots Langley Matters page called them “a credit to yourselves, your club and your family” and “great role models”. Well done, U11s — a brilliant example of the club's community spirit.

Club Spirit Award

A thoroughly deserved Club Spirit Award — well done, Kayson!

Dates for your diary

Club lottery — play from £1 a week

A quick plug for the Watford Community Lottery, which supports the club directly. Tickets start at just £1 a week, with a top prize of £25,000 — and 50p in every £1 comes straight back to AYFC to help keep running costs down for families.

If you can, sign up or gift a ticket: watfordcommunitylottery.co.uk/support/abbots-youth-fc

Thank you to our sponsors

AYFC is grateful to the local businesses whose support helps keep football affordable and accessible for every child in Abbots Langley. Thank you to A Star Build, Bridgewater Glass, Hillier Hopkins, Japex Automotive, Phoenix Managed Services, Pinnacle Law and Vivid Atom.

If your business would like to support the club, please get in touch: info@abbotsyouthfc.co.uk.

Kit & Boot Room

The Boot Room is our second-hand kit shop, raising funds for the club. If you're after boots, astros, shirts or shorts at sensible prices, have a look at the Boot Room pages on the website.

Boot amnesty: if you have any old or unwanted boots at home, please donate them to the Boot Room — they'll go to a good home and help raise funds for the club.

For brand-new club kit and training wear, we now use a local supplier for all of our kit requirements — contact the club for more information.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. All of our coaches are DBS-checked and we follow FA guidance on children's football.

If you ever have a concern about a child's welfare — on or off the pitch — please contact our Child Welfare Officer, Gordon Wilson (07931 541535), or speak to any of your child's coaches in confidence.

You can read our full Safeguarding Children Policy on the club website, including the contact details for raising a concern.

Club committee — who to contact

AYFC is run entirely by volunteers. If you need to reach the committee, here's who's who:

With thanks to our sponsors

Vivid Atom