BAFRA ANNUAL CONVENTION – SAT 2^ND AND SUN 3^RD APRIL 2016

Ton-Up Again!

For the second year running we have attracted 100 people to our Convention. So well done to all concerned and thanks to everyone for responding to our request for early bookings. It has helped the process considerably.

100 and counting

The following 100 Members have booked their place at the Convention. If you are not listed, it may be because you have only recently confirmed your place in the last couple of days. An updated list will be issued next week.

Stuart Alger, Graham Baker, Jaeson Bennett, Jim Briggs, Jed Brooks-Lewis, Amir Brooks,Roger Brown, John Burns, Derek Burridge, Darren Carr, Mike Cavanagh, Phil Clarke, MartinCockerill, Graham Coleman, Les Connor, Alisha Darkins, Ian Davies, Roy Davis, Steve Egan, Barbara Favre-Derez, Tim Fisher, Jo Foxon, Ben Gadsby, Barry Gent, Martin Gibson, Muz Gibson, Roger Goodgroves, John Griffin, Ben Griffiths, Krister Halvorsean, Aminul Hassan, Graham Hedges, David Hewitt, Rob Hill, Daniel Holt, Heather Horner, Phil Hume, Mark Hurst, Viktor Janvari, Chris Jarvis, Lee Johnson, Daniel Johnston, David Knight, Albert Lambert Jnr, Bill LeMonnier, Tzvi lindeman, Andrew Lovell, Julian Mallia, Richard McEwen, Fank McParlin, Jason Mead, James Meredith, Richard Moger, Andrew Murrell, Russell Newton, Dave Norton, Tim Ockendon, Ian Papworth, Toby Papworth, David Parsons, Pete Parsons, Euan Paterson, Tom Pennick, Vladimir Platonov, Richard Prattley, Michael Prentice, Henry Richardson, Mike Roberts, Peter Roberts, Rob Rooksby, Conrad Russell, Simon Ryan, Clive Sandle, Ian Sneddon, Shawn Sombati, Kevin Stanton, Darran Sterling, Paul Sutton, Stuart Tabberer, Lee Taylor, Pete Thom, Frank Thomson, Paul Todd, Steve Tonkinson, Richard Vernon, Ian Wainwright, Mark Ward, Perry Wayman, Sean Welsh, Keith Wickham, Colin Wilcox, Mark Wilson, RichardWhitby, Lee Wood, Liam Wooton, Dean Wright, Jon Wyse, Brian Yates, Charles Young, Stuart Young

Payment

If you have not paid for your accommodation can I ask that you please do so as soon as possible. We need to pay the Convention Centre in advance for rooms.

Let’s Get Registered

If you are not taking advantage of the excellent accommodation rates available at Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre you still need to register to attend the Convention. To register please contact Sean Welsh at convention@bafra.org. Full details of the Convention and accommodation rates can be found at the following link:

http://www.bafra.org/newsflash/2016/201605.htm

Payment

Payment for Convention rooms are due by 20th March and payment can be made electronically or by cheque.

By cheques; with full payment included, should be made payable to BAFRA Ltd and sent to Charles Young at 18 Southgate, Whitworth, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL12 8UQ. Cheques may not be cashed till this date.

By electronic payment; please ensure your payment reference is your full name and BAFRA number e.g. “Roger Brown 469” and use the account number 10255350, sort code 16-16-11, BAFRA Ltd, RBS, Cheetham Hill, Manchester.

By electronic payment plan; It is appreciated that some people may wish to spread the cost and make multiple payments over the weeks leading up to 20th March. Please use the same instructions as above. If you wish to make multiple payments, then you must make the payments electronically and not by cheque.

Please let us know how you wish to pay by including this information in your email to Sean Welsh at convention@bafra.org when you register.

Game Fees

Unfortunately, payment for the Convention cannot be taken from Game Fees. The administration work involved is far too time consuming and does not fit well with our newly introduced process of paying games Fees by direct transfer to your bank account

Davie Parsons

president@bafra.org

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The following nominations were received by the closing date:

President:

Davie Parsons (425), nominated by Steve Tonkinson (99), seconded by Les Connor (152)

General Secretary:

Paul Sutton (312), nominated by Stuart Young (33), seconded by Mike Cavanagh (465).

Director of Training:

Pete Thon (200), nominated by Brian Yates (29), seconded by Ian Papworth (366)

Director without Portfolio #1:

David Knight (135), nominated by Roger Brown (469), seconded by Phil Hume (52)

Peter Parsons (321), nominated by Graham Hedges (219). Seconded by Keith Wickham (423)

This means that the President, General Secretary and Director of Training are elected unopposed. There will be an election for the Director without Portfolio #1 at the AGM.

Paul Sutton

secretary@bafra.org

AGM

The papers for the AGM have been sent electronically to all members. If you have not received yours by 5:00pm on Saturday 12^th March, please contact me. In addition, proxy voting forms have been sent electronically to all qualified members. Again, if you are entitled to receive one and have not received it by 5:00pm on Saturday 12^th March please contact me.

Paul Sutton

secretary@bafra.org

SENIOR LEAGUE SEASON 2016 BEGINS 9^TH/ 10^TH April

The full fixture list for the Senior Leagues have now been released. Unlike recent seasons the first weeks of the season will have a full schedule of games.

It is therefore most important that all active officials update Arbiter immediately to accurately reflect their availability. Can I ask in particular that officials who did not work during the University season amend their Arbiter setting now so that they can be assigned games.

As you will see from the grid below their will be at least 15 senior games every week. The Youth Schedule of fixtures has not yet been published but there is no doubt that there will be a total of at least 22/25+ games every week.

• Week 1 9^th/10^th April 19 games

• Week 2 16^th/17^th April 17 games

• Week 3 23^rd/24^th April 16 games

• Week 4 30^th April/1^st May 15 games

• Week 5 7^th/8^th May 24 games

• Week 6 14^th/15^th May 20 games

• Week 7 21^st/22^nd May 22 games

• Week 8 BYE WEEK

In addition to these games there will also be 5 v 5 tournaments every Saturday.

NOTE: Officials will now receive a game fee for working these tournaments.

Your continued co-operation and support to cover what will be a very busy summer league season is much appreciated.

Richard Vernon

operations@bafra.org

THE BAFA SAPPHIRE SERIES (WOMEN'S TACKLE FOOTBALL) 12^TH MARCH, 26^TH MARCH, 16^TH APRIL EVENTS!

The Sapphire Series continues this Saturday with Tournaments at Salford, Portsmouth and East Kilbride. Can I begin by thanking everyone who has made themselves available to work one of these tournaments. Volunteers this week include Elite officials, experienced (5 v 5/7 v 7) officials as well as rookie officials. Your contribution is much appreciated.

Other tournaments will be played on 26^th March and 16^th April. We now need more volunteers to come forward for all of these tournaments. Details are contained below. We have already had some Elite officials make themselves available and I hope all of them cover at least one of these events. In addition can I ask that newer officials try to cover a tournament as this will be valuable experience to take you into the Senior League season. The support of BAFRA officials will be a valuable contribution to the development of BAFA's women's football programme.

The Sapphire Series is the national championship for women’s contact football. The series, which runs until April sees teams compete across a number of tournaments in the standard 5 v 5 format and now for the first time, the new BAFA 7 v 7 format. The 7 v 7 format will be used for the five Division 1 teams playing for the Sapphire National Championship; The nine Division 2 teams will compete at 5 v 5 format for the Div 2 North and South conference titles. The series runs with tournament-style game days at which 4 -5 teams will be present. There will be 4 tournament dates with 3 regional based tournaments taking part on each of these, so a total of 12 tournament events. Teams play two games each per day and tournaments are expected to last around three to three and a half hours. Officials can expect to officiate 2-3 games, all lasting between 45-60 minutes. Most events will start first games at 13:00 and will be finished by 16:30 latest. All tournaments take place on a Saturday .

Dates, formats, times and venues for the tournaments are as follows:

26^th March 2016:

• Hatfield (7 v 7), 1 official required

• Teeside (5 v 5) 3 officials required

• South London (5 v 5) 4 officials required

16th April 2016:

• Birmingham (7 v 7), Chester and Norwich (5 v 5)

We will put all these events onto Arbiter but seek officials to contact us about their availability ASAP

The response from officials who are willing to be part of the introductory and development of the new 7 v 7 Format has been terrific. Officials are attending several of these events to help bed-in the rules and mechanics and provide feedback to the competition organisers and to other game officials. Please come-forward quickly to that we can provide copies of the game and competition rules for the new format ahead of game days.

Richard Vernon

operations@bafra.org

APPLICATIONS FOR BAFRA SELECTION COMMITTEE

Applications are invited from qualified BAFRA members who would like to work on this important committee. It’s role include the selection of officials for all UK Bowl Games, NFL Chain Crews, Officials Of The Year Awards as well as IFAF and Elite Panel. Terms of reference and full details of the roles and responsibilities are on the website in the Members Handbook – 6.Scheduling and Selection.

In accordance with the rules of this committee two places are vacated every year and as a result two places will shortly be available. Please submit an Expression of Interest to me by no later than 10 pm on Friday 18^th March 2016.

If anyone is considering applying who has not served previously on a BAFRA Committee, you are welcome to contact me for an informal discussion about the role and requirements.

Richard Vernon

operations@bafra.org

RESULTS

Stirling Clansmen 42-13 Hertfordshire Hurricanes

Birmingham Lions 58-22 Durham Saints

Glasgow Tigers 29-7 Newcastle Raiders

Nottingham Outlaws 6-12 NTU Renegades

Swansea Titans 30-22 Cardiff Cobras

Surrey Stingers 36-20 RHUL Bears

Edinburgh Napier Knights 0-30 LJMU Fury

Manchester Tyrants 30-17 Coventry Jets

Plymouth Blitz 3-38 Portsmouth Destroyers

Greenwich Mariners 4-32 Oxford Lancers

DISCIPLINARY CASES

GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS

END ZONE

CALENDAR