The Stepy's Coaches Durham Sunday Football League becomes the First Sunday Morning Football League to become Charter Standard

The Stepy’s Coaches Durham Sunday Football League became the First Sunday Football League in the Durham County Football Association to become Football Association Charter Standard League. The League met with the Durham County Football Association Development Officer Andy Brown at Durham County FA Headquarters in Chester le Street last Year. The League decided that all Clubs in the League would be Charter Standard by November this year. This was achieved and at the November League meeting for all the Clubs in the League Andy Brown came along and presented all Clubs in the League with a £100-00 Umbro voucher for each Club to use. The FA Charter Standard Programme was launched in 2001 with the aim of raising the standard of grassroots football in teams, coaching, administration and Child Protection. The Clubs by achieving the Charter Standard Award are demonstrating to all members and the public, that they are a well organized & safe club. The 'hidden' benefits are also an excellent way of promoting your club to potential members, volunteers and sponsors. League Secretary Graham Lilley was very proud of the way the Clubs had all worked to get the Charter Standard from the Football Association, thus making the League the First Sunday Football League in the County to get the award and probably the First in the Country to get the award.

The Durham Sunday Football League sponsored by Stepy’s Coaches is well regarded as one of the most reputable and most recognized grass-roots Sunday football leagues in the United Kingdom. The main reason why our league has been so successful over its 40 year history is due to the tireless work that the league committee who make this league possible put in on a weekly basis throughout the whole season year in year out.
The whole of the committee do not get paid to do the jobs they do. They do this voluntarily and for the love of the game. More importantly they give up vast amounts of their time for the running of the League and the players who play week in week out. This is only possible due to the hard work and the free time the committee put in.
The league is also celebrating its 40th year this season and there will be more features on it throughout the season.
If you want to know about other sections of our league then please check all the other pages.
The league is very proud of our referees for their hard work, reliability and professionalism throughout the season. The hardest job on a Sunday morning is that of a referee. Ask yourself this question... without a referee turning up, who would officiate your game? Without one the game would not take place. The bottom line is you should all respect our referees and the hard job they do. For £20:00 per game they do not get paid enough to take or referee in fear of verbal or physical assault. Any player/s or teams that subject referees to this will be dealt with in the strongest possible manner, a very heavy club fine and if the club is persistently reported to the league, then on a week when the League may be short of Referee’s then that club can expect to be without one. The Durham County Football Association will be informed and that Clubs F.A Charter Standard will be removed resulting in the club being removed from the League. We have the highest turn out of referees on a Sunday in any other Sunday league. It is very rarely a game in this league is not covered by a referee. This is down to the dedicated referees we have and the hard work of Chris Tindale and Dale Moon the referee's secretary and assistant who work tirelessly to keep all games covered throughout the season.