Scottish Amateur Football Association - 2000 - 2008 A New Beginning

2008 A New Beginning

With the Youth section departing membership dropped to seventy three Associations/Leagues with one thousand five hundred and sixty clubs. The 2000 AGM saw Robert McGechie take over as Match Secretary of the Famous Grouse

Scotch Whisky Amateur Football Trophy. District Cup ties were to be played to a finish at first attempt and Matthew Gloag & Co signed a four year sponsorship deal for both Scottish Cups.

Early in 2001, the SAFA moved into new offices in the reconstructed National Stadium at Hampden Park Glasgow and a new Website was launched. The delicate condition of the two Scottish Cups led to the decision to have them repaired, mothballed and new trophies purchased. In May 2001, the Fixed Penalty Guidelines for Standard Offences was introduced throughout the country for an initial two year period leading to a review.

At the 2004 AGM, Matthew Gloag & Co announced that their sponsorship of the Scottish Sunday Trophy, better known by this time as the Famous Grouse Scotch Whisky Amateur Football Trophy, was over after a twenty five year relationship. This

was indeed a sad blow to the SAFA. However the Scottish Cup has been sponsored in turn by Soccer World and Sportsguard since then. Replicas of the two major trophies were purchased and the originals given on permanent loan to the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park.

In 2001 the Scottish Amateur FL celebrated their Centenary, and Greenock HSFP did likewise in 2007. May 2003 saw the 25th anniversary of the fixture against the Northern Amateur Football League of Northern Ireland for the Jack Britton Rosebowl. Paisley & District AFA held their Golden Jubilee in 2004. In 2007 St Monans Swallows celebrated one hundred years of football in the Fife village.

In February 2003, the SAFA had over five hundred applications to take their “C Licence” coaching course to be run by the SFA in conjunction with the Community Coaches. The Western District Executive Sub Committee was renamed the Western District Executive Sunday Committee which more accurately reflected its duties. By 2004 Futsal had forty nine teams in four leagues and discussions were advanced with a sponsor but this later fell through. Around this time a shortage of referees was felt, particularly in the West of Scotland, and meetings were held with the SFA in an attempt to improve the situation. The Protection of Children Act (Scotland) 2003 would affect clubs with Under 18 players and information was made available to the relevant clubs. A pilot scheme for the National Registration Scheme started in season 2005/06 under the auspices of the SFA, but due to manpower problems and computer glitches this will be unable to be fully implemented until the end of the decade. Derogatory comments on a club Website necessitated, in 2005, the SAFA introducing a rule holding clubs responsible for what appeared on their Website. The 2005 Scottish Amateur Sunday Trophy ended with ugly scenes involving both teams and spectators and both clubs were Severely Censured for their actions, fined £250.00 and had a Bond for good behaviour placed on them in the sum of £250.00. Further, both clubs were barred from entering the competition for five years. Both clubs failed to pay the fines and were Debt Suspended.

For years the SAFA had sought financial assistance to run first aid courses with the principle that each club would have at least one qualified member with a Sports Injury Certificate. In February 2007, the Scottish Football Partnership agreed to fund the initiative to the sum of £140,000.00 making it virtually free to every club in membership of the SAFA. Legislation was passed and all clubs will have to comply having at least one member with a Sports Injury Certificate from season 2009/10. The courses are to run all round the country by SFA Sports & Medicine Centre. East of Scotland were to represent the SAFA in the 6th UEFA Regions Cup to be held in Allessandria, Italy, aspiring to qualify for the second stages, something no other Scottish team has done since the tournaments inception in 1999.

The 100th year started with an entry of five hundred and ninety eight teams for the Scottish Amateur Cup, despite falling numbers still the largest football competition in the country and continued on a bright financial note when a sponsorship agreement was signed with Scottish Brewers, using the brand name Fosters, for the Scottish Amateur Cup and the Scottish Amateur Sunday Trophy for a two year period with an option for a further year.