• We are playing to learn and not just to win – Bury Town Football Club adhere to the FA’s Future Game Philosophy; U7, U8 and U9 Football has no league tables published therefore the emphasis is on the four words that make up our REAL Philosophy. At Bury Town Football Club winning is a by-product of development!

• Bury Town ensures wherever possible, all players are get fair playing time. This is imperative through all age groups for the inclusion, development and enjoyment of every player.

• Players should play in all positions; players will learn the skills required to play in a number of positions. This is important for every player’s development. Being a defender will help you to become a better attacker.

• Mistakes are a perfect learning opportunity for players – Children are here to learn and therefore should be left to make their own decisions and to make mistakes. It’s tempting to keep telling players what to do, but try to praise instead of trying to make their decision for them.

• The loudest sound should be the children playing! Children learn best in a calm environment. Young children find that a ‘wall of noise’ from the touchline can be distracting, confusing, off putting or even intimidating. The groans of parents disappointment that follow a bad pass, a mistake or a missed shot can easily put children off trying new skills for fear of failure and adult disapproval. Our rule is simple: the noise from the side-line must be below that of the children on the pitch.

• At Bury Town our aim is to encourage the development of young players who are comfortable with the ball in different areas and in different situations. We try to encourage playing out from the back and to play through the thirds of the pitch when possible, so we ask parents to refrain from saying any of the following phrases. ‘Hoof it’, ‘Boot it’, ‘Clear it’, ‘hit it’, ‘get it out’ or ‘get rid of it’ instead we need to praise positive play, when forward passes connect or a quick pass sets up a good counter attacking opportunity.

BE PART OF IT!