History

The Avon Youth League was formed in 1966. It has evolved through several different periods of management but remains committed to the principal that it was formed to provide youngsters from Bristol and the surrounding area with the opportunity to play competitive football to the highest standard possible.

In recent years the league has been at the forefront of the fight to protect young people from abuse in any of its forms, within youth sport in particular, and youth groups in general. The fight against undesirable individuals within youth sport and inappropriate behaviour was launched in conjunction with the Avon & Somerset Police Child Protection team. The league has actively campaigned for all youth groups to operate in accordance with the principals of the force' Child-Safe initiative. This scheme has been made available by purchasing the training pack and video advertised elsewhere on this site. As a result many leagues as geographically widespread as Manchester, Sheffield, Mansfield, Luton, Oxfordshire, Litchfield, East Hants, Devon, Kent, London, Stroud, Liverpool, Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, to name but a few, have introduced the Safer-Soccer scheme piloted by the Avon Youth League.

The English FA has over recent years embraced the principles of Child Protection through its Safeguarding and Equality team based at the FA headquarters in Soho Square in London. Every club is encouraged to appoint a suitable Club Welfare Officer and each league a Youth League Welfare Officer. The roles are different but the purpose is to seek to make 'our chosen sport' safer for the children and young people who play, train and watch the game. For more information see http://www.theFA.com/goal/ 

On the football front the league will have five divisions at Under 12 for the first time in season 2007-8 and four divisions from Under 13 to Under 16. It will be providing football for somewhere in the region of 5000 or so players each Sunday during the league season. The playing season commences in September and completes between March and April dependant on the weather. The Avon Youth League were also instrumental in the formation of the local Under 18 competition, the Bristol Combination League, and work closely with the Hanham Minor League who manage Under 10 small sided and Under 11 football in the local area and are an active member of the National Association of Youth Football Leagues.