Why not join the Board of the UK’s First Fan Owned Football Club! While the fans of some clubs can only chant “sack the Board” when it all goes wrong, as members of the UK’s first supporters-owned club you can vote for your Board members or even put yourself forward for election.

And even if you’re relatively satisfied with the Club’s current on and off the field position, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seriously think about standing for election if you have the time, energy and skills which you think can take our Club forward as it pursues its vision of being an inclusive club for all and a football and social centre for the community, with a range of teams playing at the highest sustainable level possible.

The annual elections to the Board of the Enfield Town FC Supporters Society and the Football Club will be held between now and January 2021. This is an opportunity for members to stand for election to the Board and for members to vote if the number of candidates exceeds the places available. The Board has twelve members with a third of the number required to stand down each year in rotation.

If you wish to stand for election you must have been a member of ETFC Supporters Society for at least 12 months and you must submit a nomination form by Thursday 3 December. A form is available at the end of this document . You also need to get three ETFCSSL members to sign the nomination form, and you may submit up to 200 words to support your candidacy. If the number of candidates exceeds the number of places available there will be an election, with ballot papers sent to paid- up members with the AGM notice. The intention is to announce the results of any election at the AGM on Thursday 21 January 2021.

Person Specification

A passion for Enfield Town FC is a good starting point! The constitution of the Society refers to the promotion of Association Football in the London Borough of Enfield and therefore the focus is not just on the first team.

The Board is keen to develop the scope of its membership and to attract younger people, women, and those from minority ethnic groups, to better align Board membership with the community ethos of the Club.

Board Meetings usually take place once a month, and directors are expected to attend. Specific workstreams are set up from time to time to focus on detailed aspects of the Board’s undertakings, for example on matchday arrangements or income generation. Board members may be required to represent the club at external meetings and to represent the club on match days.

“​The Board requires different skill sets to function properly. From a list that is not exhaustive, examples of the skills and experience that could be useful are:

• Project management
• Marketing, communications, and promotional experience
• Experience with community projects
• Work in the leisure sector
• Work in the voluntary sector
• Running a business

These are just examples and if you think you have skills and commitment to take the club forward do not be put off by this list!

At the present time we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people who have experience in:

• Marketing and ‘selling’, and who would also be prepared to undertake commercial promotional activities on some match days
• Current communications processes, whether technology based or otherwise
• Working with, and co-ordinating, volunteers

We would also like to increase the presence at our stadium during the week to assist with administrative tasks and liaison with contractors and visitors, and so would welcome interest from people who have the capacity to help with this.

Time and frequency of Board Meetings and any sub-groups is dependent upon the current priorities of the club, for example during the pandemic the Board has met fortnightly via Zoom. Actions arising from those meetings will necessitate a flexible approach to the hours of service per week or month from each elected Director.

We will be seeking nominations for election to the Board of Enfield Town FC Supporters Society and the Football Club between now and 3 December.

How to Put Your Name Forward

Applications can be made online, by email or by post:

• Online at https://etfc.london/nomination-for-the-enfield-town-supporters-society-board
• By Post or Email by downloading, completing and returning the following form ETFCBoardElections2021ApplicationForm.pdf and sending to Company Secretary Akin Yilmaz. You need to get three ETFCSSL members to sign the nomination form; this may not be practical at this time, just list the names of those members who are prepared to nominate you.

If you are interested, or have any questions prior to nominations being considered, please speak to any current Board member, or contact Company Secretary Akin Yilmaz, whose details can be found here.

Election Timetable

Action	Timing	Date
Nomination Period Opens	AGM – 9 weeks	19 November 2020
Nomination Period Closes	AGM – 7 weeks	3 December 2020
Postal ballot papers issued to all members with notice & agenda for AGM	AGM – 5 weeks	17 December 2020
Ballot Closes	AGM – 2 Weeks	7 January 2021
Ballot results announced	AGM	21 January 2021

We are delighted to say our online store is now up and running and ready to serve your needs. Find us at: https://shop.etfc.london/product-category/merchandise or click the ‘Shop’ link on the website. We will be adding new products all the time, so keep checking back to see what hot new products we have available.

All our current shirts are available – so you can choose from the home, yellow away, green away and also the purple or orange goalkeeper shirts. All sizes are available to order, though please note not all sizes will be in stock, however, the lead time with our supplier is quite short so we would expect to be able to fulfil all orders within 2-3 weeks.  We also have a Macron ETFC coat available to order and will continue to add more clothing and souvenirs as soon as we can. This is a great opportunity to support your club whilst we are in lockdown and also plan ahead for Christmas, which is now just around the corner and now is a great time to sort out gifts for your loved ones.

We can offer postage direct to your home or work place for extra convenience; we also offer a Click & Collect option, which is free, but please note you can only collect from the club shop on matchdays. We will strive to offer the best service we can for you and keep you updated as to the date your order will be delivered/ready to collect. Please do be aware though that we are of course affected by the current covid-19 restrictions which may slow things down a little.

Midfielders Ryan Blackman and Lyle Della-Verde have dual-registered with Conference South club Welling United in advance of the Wings’ behind-closed-doors match against Chelmsford City tomorrow (7th November), following an agreed waiver of the usual 7-day approach procedure.

This amicable arrangement will be an opportunity for the two players to keep match fit while Town’s own season at Step 3 level is on hold until the current lockdown ends. They both remain Enfield Town players, and the club looks forward to seeing them back in a white shirt when Isthmian League Premier Division football restarts. In the meantime, we wish them both all the best over the next few weeks!

As a result of the UK Government’s new national Covid-19 restrictions, and subject to Members of Parliament voting tomorrow [Wednesday 4 November 2020] and the publication of bespoke guidance from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport [DCMS], the impact on ‘non elite’ football in England will include the suspension of all fixtures and training for Steps 3-6 of the National League system [NLS] during this period:

The FA’s full statement can be found here: https://www.thefa.com/news/2020/nov/03/non-elite-football-statement-031120

In a repeat of last season’s pairing in the same competition (at the 3rd qualifying round stage), it’s Enfield Town v Maldon & Tiptree in the Buildbase FA Trophy First Round on a date which is not yet known.

Full draw available as a pdf via: https://www.thefa.com/news/2020/nov/02/buildbase-fa-trophy-and-fa-vase-draws-021120

National League System Leagues Steps 3 to 6

The announcement below has been issued by The FA on its media and communication channels this evening (31 October):

“We acknowledge the government announcement today regarding COVID-19 restrictions and are awaiting further information before we can confirm how this may affect non-elite football across England. We will communicate any necessary updates in due course.”

Enfield Town FC will keep supporters in touch with developments as quickly as possible. Brightlingsea tickets are still available until such time as the club hears otherwise. Cray (onwards) tickets will not be issued until such time as there is additional information available.

Former Town favourite Harold Joseph has re-signed for the Town after three years away. In his initial spell at the QEII he made 80 competitive appearances, scoring 9 goals. His other former clubs include Barnet, Stevenage, Wingate & Finchley, Hayes & Yeading United, St Albans City and Royston Town.

Andy Leese said “since he left Welling United Harold has had work commitments, but has been training with us and has made good progress so we have decided to sign him to bolster our defensive options”.

The club have also signed 25 year-old goalkeeper Dan Lincoln on a short-term arrangement as cover for Nathan McDonald, who picked up a nasty facial injury at Carshalton Athletic recently. He has had experience at clubs such as Reading, Oxford United, Bognor Regis Town and, mostly recently, Hampton & Richmond Borough. Dan is also a Middlesex cricketer.

Andy said “the severe blow that Nathan took last week is still causing him problems, although, thankfully, it has not turned out to be as serious as we initially thought it might be. Dan will be available for the next couple of games”.

Welcome to the club guys!

Match tickets for Town v Ramsgate (FA Trophy, Saturday 31st October, 3.00 pm) and v Brightlingsea (Isthmian League, Tuesday 3rd November, 7.45pm) are now available via https://shop.etfc.london/events (£11 adults, £7 concessions (65 and over, students under 21) and £1 under 16s accompanied by an adult).

Both these matches are limited capacity all-ticket games, which will take account of the experience of staging recent fixtures and of government guidelines. There are some slight adjustments to previous matches, and further adjustments may continue to be made in the light of any further Covid-19 guidance.  General season tickets are not valid for the Ramsgate match (but Gold #GoToTown subscribers can gain entry via the gate next to the turnstiles by presenting their season card or, if not collected yet, by giving their details to the steward on the gate). For the Brightlingsea league match, season ticket holders will not need to apply for a match ticket but will be able to gain entry with their numbered season card at the gate next to the turnstiles (or by giving their details if season card not yet collected).

When purchasing tickets via https://shop.etfc.london/events you may need to scroll down for a specific match. Ticket applicants will be issued with a digital quick response (QR) code e-ticket which can be swiped at the gate either on a mobile phone or on printed out paper.  Please note that when you apply an invoice will also be forwarded; this is not your ticket. If there are any issues with e-ticket delivery, please check your spam/junk folders before emailing webteam@etfc.london

For both matches there will be an opportunity to purchase a seat in the very limited accommodation in the main stand (£4). There will also be a limited opportunity to pay for, and reserve for collection at the turnstiles, a hard copy of the matchday programme (£2.50 – please note the small increase which has been made to help cover matchday costs). If you are purchasing a main stand transfer/and or a hard copy programme, please remember to have the respective QR codes with you at the match. If preferred, you will be able to buy an electronic version of the programme via https://shop.etfc.london/ in due course for £2.

In line with government guidelines, the club will be operating an outside table service only bar on a first come first served basis. Drinks must be ordered and consumed at the table and cannot be taken away. Contactless payments or cash will be accepted, and tables will be cleaned regularly.

As announced previously, the club have taken a number of comprehensive precautions to make the QEII Stadium safe, particularly with regard to social distancing.  All spectators need to be fully aware that attendance at the match will be entirely at their own risk. You must follow government guidelines and self-diagnose before travelling to the QEII Stadium.  If you, or any of your household, are experiencing any symptoms which may be related to Covid-19, you should not travel and you should follow NHS advice. At the QEII Stadium you agree to respect others, abide with social distancing guidelines and measures that the club have put in place, and undertake to follow all advice given by ETFC stewards, officials and via tannoy announcements.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience whilst we adapt to constantly evolving ways of working, as the club looks to do the right thing, incrementally, with the safety of all in mind.  Certain facilities will remain closed or be limited. There will be signage in place, and parts of the ground will be subject to a one-way system for additional safety. Toilets will be subject to social distancing measures. Spectators should come prepared for inclement weather as there will be a strict adherence to maintaining social distancing under the limited cover at the ground. Umbrellas are permitted, although you should of course bear in mind the need to avoid blocking other spectators’ view. Please use the NHS Covid-19 app at the entrance if you have downloaded it.

Following the recent departure from his “merchandise messiah” role of club stalwart Dave Hicks, the shop has a new “Arkwright” – long-term EFC and ETFC supporter Colin Peppiatt. Welcome Colin!

Upon taking up his new appointment, Colin said “My passion for Town runs back to the old club’s Southbury Road days, where I loved attending games, firstly with my dad and then with schoolfriends.”

A Town Supporters’ Society member, Colin continued “Once I found out Dave Hicks had brought down the shutters one final time, I was keen to see if I could help fill his sizeable boots. In the short term I want to make sure you can get all your Christmas gifts and winter essentials from the club shop and I will also be introducing exciting new products as soon as possible.”

There will be a profile of Colin in a forthcoming home matchday programme, along with more information about his plans for developing the shop, including online. With three home games coming up in quick succession, why not pop along to say “hello” to Colin, and talk to him about ETFC gifts and souvenirs – there’s a wide range to choose from, including shirts, scarves, hats, gloves, mugs, keyrings and even rubber ducks!

ALL TICKETS ARE NOW SOLD OUT DO NOT TRAVEL WITHOUT A TICKET

Adults £11, Seniors (over 65) £8, Children (under 18) £3

Carshalton Athletic’s welcome to travelling fans online page can be found here https://www.carshaltonathletic.co.uk/fans

and the club’s covid-19 precautions documentation can be found here https://www.carshaltonathletic.co.uk/covid19riskassessment and here https://www.carshaltonathletic.co.uk/covid19-ground-rules

The club have advised that there will be no tickets available on the day

Any further information from Carshalton will appear here as soon as it is received.