On behalf of Epsom and Ewell Colts FC, a registered charity: 1204598
Blenheim High School, has chosen to cancel our training bookings and give them to Chelsea FC Foundation to run development pathway.
So far, all attempts to ask Blenheim High School and Chelsea FC to reverse their decision, directly and via Surrey FA, hasn't got us to a solution.
We need Chelsea and Blenheim to recognise that running development pathway sessions during our previously booked slots, comes at the expense of the grassroots side of the game.
We need them to reconsider and reinstate our booking.
Please sign this petition if you agree and want to stand up and protect grassroots football!
Updates
Reached 1,000 supporters
August 7, 2024
August 6, 2024
The administration at Blenheim High School has yet to provide a substantive response to our requests for a meeting regarding the canceled training slots. While this silence is discouraging, your continued engagement ensures that our position remains visible to all parties involved.
August 5, 2024
The momentum behind this petition confirms that our local community values grassroots sports programs. This collective response demonstrates a clear expectation that schools should prioritize established local teams over private commercial partnerships.
Reached 100 supporters
August 5, 2024
376 Comments
170 women/girls can now not play football. Where's the consideration, equality, inclusivity, accessibility been discussed and documented as part of this discussion. Or does it just boil down to money and favouring the elite players?
Please support local kids and their coaches who put everything in to running these clubs. As a school you should be acting as a role model for you many students, not cancelling your commitments for the sake of a big club who have the funds to go anywhere.
How can they get away with this, the government are trying to promote sport for youngsters, this will ruin it for everyone in the local community, really sad and very late notice, providing no alternate arrangements.
As somebody involved in GRF I find this a disgraceful decision. If it wasn’t for clubs like this, there wouldn’t be the opportunity for kids to get into football in the first place for to then go onto Chelsea and the like
My daughter has played for E&E colts since she was 8. Now 11 years later her under 18 team have nowhere to train. Blenheim please reconsider your decision. We should be encouraging not discouraging teenagers and youngsters to play.
I support
Let the girls play
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On behalf of Epsom and Ewell Colts FC, a registered charity: 1204598
Blenheim High School, has chosen to cancel our training bookings and give them to Chelsea FC Foundation to run development pathway.
So far, all attempts to ask Blenheim High School and Chelsea FC to reverse their decision, directly and via Surrey FA, hasn't got us to a solution.
We need Chelsea and Blenheim to recognise that running development pathway sessions during our previously booked slots, comes at the expense of the grassroots side of the game.
We need them to reconsider and reinstate our booking.
Please sign this petition if you agree and want to stand up and protect grassroots football!
Updates
Reached 1,000 supporters
August 7, 2024
August 6, 2024
The administration at Blenheim High School has yet to provide a substantive response to our requests for a meeting regarding the canceled training slots. While this silence is discouraging, your continued engagement ensures that our position remains visible to all parties involved.
August 5, 2024
The momentum behind this petition confirms that our local community values grassroots sports programs. This collective response demonstrates a clear expectation that schools should prioritize established local teams over private commercial partnerships.
Reached 100 supporters
August 5, 2024
376 Comments
It’s a real shame that young girls may lose the opportunity to play football locally, especially when Chelsea FC already cancelled foundation club trainings last year for younger girls to free the space for more trainings for boys.
170 women/girls can now not play football. Where's the consideration, equality, inclusivity, accessibility been discussed and documented as part of this discussion. Or does it just boil down to money and favouring the elite players?
Please support local kids and their coaches who put everything in to running these clubs. As a school you should be acting as a role model for you many students, not cancelling your commitments for the sake of a big club who have the funds to go anywhere.
How can they get away with this, the government are trying to promote sport for youngsters, this will ruin it for everyone in the local community, really sad and very late notice, providing no alternate arrangements.
As somebody involved in GRF I find this a disgraceful decision. If it wasn’t for clubs like this, there wouldn’t be the opportunity for kids to get into football in the first place for to then go onto Chelsea and the like
My daughter has played for E&E colts since she was 8. Now 11 years later her under 18 team have nowhere to train. Blenheim please reconsider your decision. We should be encouraging not discouraging teenagers and youngsters to play.
I support
Let the girls play
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It’s a real shame that young girls may lose the opportunity to play football locally, especially when Chelsea FC already cancelled foundation club trainings last year for younger girls to free the space for more trainings for boys.