Dear Football Club Chairman or Secretary,

There has been some confusion over the re-starting of football, following the end of the second lockdown for the Covid-19 pandemic.

For the sake of clarity Warwick District Council would like to make it clear that all football pitches that are owned by the Council will be available for use as booked by clubs for the weekend of 5th and 6th December 2020.

Please note that it is a condition of such use that all clubs and individual teams comply completely with the Government legislation with regard to our status in Tier 3 of the new rules, along with the guidance of the Football Association and the Birmingham County Football Association on managing the Covid-19 pandemic. The advice of the Football Association can be found in the following locations –

• Football Activity Guidance For Restarting Outdoor Football - 1st December
• Football Activity Guidance Executive Summary - 1st December
• Football Activity Guidance For Providers Of Football Activities - 1st December

The Birmingham County Football Association will be issuing further advice and guidance from time to time for the remainder of this season. Government legislation and our position in Tier 3 may also change at any time. It is essential that all teams using Warwick District Council-owned football pitches comply with current and future legislation, the Football Association guidance as shown above and any subsequent guidance or clarifications issued by the Football Association or by the Birmingham County Football Association.

Any Clubs or teams that repeatedly fail to comply with this legislation and guidance will not be permitted to use Council pitches for the remainder of the season. Individuals and clubs not complying with the legislation may be subject to a criminal investigation and prosecution and a potential fine. Clubs that do not comply with FA and Birmingham County FA guidance may find their fixtures withdrawn from their leagues. Clubs that continue to flout the rules may also face a further sanction from Birmingham County FA under the rules and regulations of the Football Association.

We are sure that you want to avoid these sanctions as much as we all do. I am sure that the vast majority of clubs and teams will work very hard, as you have done already, to comply with the rules.

We all want football to complete this season, despite the extraordinary circumstances of 2020. In order to do this, everyone involved will need to work hard to comply with the guidance issued.

If you have any questions, please email leisure@warwickdc.gov.uk . However, I would urge you to re-read the guidance before contacting us.

Paddy Herlihy
Programme Manager