Everything you need to know about North East Sport Youth FC — straight answers to the questions parents ask us most.

About the club

Who are you?

We’re North East Sport Youth FC — the football side of North East Sport CIC, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company set up in Sunderland in 2009. We’re FA Accredited and affiliated to Durham County FA. We run from Monkwearmouth Academy and we’ve been here since 2012.

What’s the club about?

We exist to give every child in Sunderland a route into football, from their first kick of a ball through to playing league fixtures every weekend. Our motto is Happy, Healthy, Hopeful — that’s what we want for every child who walks through the gate.

How big is the club?

Around 240 children across our competitive teams, plus our development sessions and Wildcats. We run teams in the Russell Foster Saturday league and the Durham County FA Sunday league. We’re one of the bigger grassroots clubs in the area and we want to keep growing.

Joining the club

Who can play?

Boys and girls aged 4 to 18. We’ve got something for every stage — development sessions for the youngest, competitive teams for those ready to play in a league, and the Wildcats programme for girls aged 5 to 11. Membership is open to everyone regardless of background, ability or experience.

How does my child try it out?

Every new player gets a completely free, no-obligation taster session before they sign up. Book one through https://northeastsport.as.me. You’ll see the full list of available sessions there — pick the one that fits your child’s school year and turn up. Nothing to pay, no commitment.

What happens after the taster?

If your child enjoys it and you want to join, we’ll set you up with a monthly direct debit through Stripe or GoCardless. That’s it. From the next session onwards, they’re a North East Sport player.

Where are you based?

Monkwearmouth Academy, Torver Crescent, Sunderland, SR6 8LG. We use 19 acres of grass pitches on the school site through the summer, and move to premium indoor facilities at the Academy through the winter.

Costs and payments

How much does it cost?

£25 a month for our standard development and league sessions. £10 a month for Wildcats (our girls’ programme, ages 5 to 11), subsidised by our sponsors. If you’ve got more than one child playing, every sibling pays £20 instead of £25.

What does the monthly fee cover?

Weekly training with qualified coaches. League affiliation, referee fees, pitch hire — the lot. There’s nothing else to pay on a match day. Every active member also gets an end-of-year presentation trophy.

How do I pay?

Stripe or GoCardless direct debit only. We don’t take cash. Setting up your direct debit takes a couple of minutes when you join.

Are there any extra costs on match days?

No. No match subs, no referee whip-rounds, no tournament fees. The £25 covers everything your child needs to play.

What if a team wants to do something extra?

Some of our teams fundraise for themselves — bag packs, raffles, sponsored events. A few have used the money to travel abroad for tournaments. Fundraising is always optional and team-led. Where a team does raise money, it goes into one pot and the whole team benefits equally, no matter who contributed what.

Training

When does my child train?

It depends on which group they’re in. Reception trains Wednesdays at 5pm. Year 1 trains Mondays and Thursdays at 5pm. Year 1 and 2 development trains Mondays at 5pm. Year 2 to 6 development trains Thursdays at 5pm. Wildcats girls (ages 5 to 11) train Fridays at 5pm. All sessions are an hour. League team training days vary — your team manager will tell you the schedule when your child joins.

Where does training happen?

On the grass pitches at Monkwearmouth Academy from April to September, and inside the school’s indoor facilities from October to March. Both are at the same address.

Does my child train every week?

Yes — we’re open 45 weeks a year. We close for two weeks at Christmas, one week at Easter, one week at May half-term, two weeks of summer (out of six), and the full February and October half-terms. Bank holidays we move to a different day in the same week so the session isn’t lost.

What should my child wear to training?

Casual sports kit is fine — they don’t need full club kit. Shin pads are strongly advised. Trainers for indoor sessions (October to end of May), trainers or boots for outdoor sessions (June to September). Bring a drinks bottle every time.

Do I have to stay during training?

For children up to age 6, yes — we expect a parent or carer to stay at the session. From age 6 onwards, you can drop and go once your child is settled. If you ever need to leave a younger child during a session, just tell the coach first.

The pathway from development to team

What’s the difference between a development session and a team?

Development sessions are for younger children who aren’t yet ready for league football, or for older children who are still finding their feet in the game. There are no fixtures and no league pressure — just good-quality training. Teams play league matches every weekend during their season.

When can my child start playing league matches?

Not before their 6th birthday — that’s an FA rule for insurance and accreditation. Until then, they train with one of our development groups.

How does my child move from development into a team?

We base team placements on school year. If there’s a Year 3 team and your child is in Year 3, that’s where they go. Where we’ve got more than one team in an age group, we’ll match them by ability so they’re with similar players. Sometimes we don’t have a place straight away — when that happens, your child stays in development and we move them across as soon as a spot opens up.

Can a child play up an age group?

Boys can play one school year up if needed. Girls can play up to two school years up. Neither can play down. All age-up moves are registered properly through the FA’s club portal.

Match days

When are matches played?

Most of our teams play Saturdays in the Russell Foster Tyne & Wear Football League. A few play Sundays in the Durham County FA Leagues. Your team manager will let you know which league your child’s team is in.

How long is the season?

Mini-soccer (up to 7-a-side) plays roughly 40 weeks of the year — almost continuously. Larger formats (9-a-side and 11-a-side) follow the traditional season from September to the end of May, with a summer break.

Will every child get game time?

For mini-soccer up to age 10, we want every child to get as close to equal game time as we can. Football at that age is about playing, not winning.

From U10 upwards, decisions about match-day minutes sit with the team manager. Most reward effort, attendance and attitude.

Our teams are run by volunteers who do their best for every player, but balancing game time across a squad isn’t always straightforward — and there’ll be weeks when it doesn’t land the way everyone would like. If you’ve got a question or concern about your child’s minutes, speak to your team manager first. They’ll be straight with you.

Are there any extra fees on match days?

No. The £25 monthly subscription covers everything.

Kit

What are the club colours?

Royal blue and white at home, yellow away. Royal blue shorts and socks for both — that keeps it simple and keeps costs down for families.

How do I get my child’s kit?

Match kit for league teams is provided by the team’s sponsor where possible. For development sessions and where teams need to buy kit, families order directly through our club shop at https://kitlocker.shop/northeastsportsfc.

Can I have my child’s name on the back of their shirt?

No. League rules don’t allow individual names on shirts. The kit carries the club badge, the sponsor logo where there is one, and a squad number — nothing else.

Coaches and safeguarding

Are your coaches qualified?

Every coach is working towards or already holds FA Level 1 as a minimum. Our most experienced coaches hold qualifications up to UEFA B Licence level. Peter Curtis, the club’s founder, holds FA Level 3.

Are coaches DBS-checked?

Yes. Every coach and volunteer must complete an FA Enhanced DBS check and the FA Safeguarding Children course before they attend a single training session or match. No exceptions. The club covers the cost.

Who do I contact about a safeguarding concern?

Our designated safeguarding leads are Lindsay Williams and Peter Curtis. Get in touch through support@northeastsport.co.uk or call 07883 885708. We take every concern seriously.

Girls’ football

Can my daughter play?

Yes — girls are welcome throughout the club. Our Wildcats programme runs Fridays at 5pm for girls aged 5 to 11, at a reduced rate of £10 a month thanks to our sponsors. We’re a registered FA Wildcats provider.

What happens when a girl wants to play in a team?

We have mixed teams that play in the Russell Foster boys’ leagues — girls are welcome to join any of them up to U16, which is the standard FA age limit for mixed football. Beyond that, the route is into open-age women’s football outside the club.

Other things parents ask

What if training is cancelled because of the weather?

For league teams, your team manager will let you know — usually through your team’s WhatsApp group. For development sessions, we’ll contact you by email or WhatsApp from the club. We make the call as early as we can.

Do you run holiday camps?

Yes — North East Sport runs holiday camps at Monkwearmouth across every school break. We offer multi-activity camps every school holiday day, and dedicated football camps on selected days each half-term. Both are £15 for a five-hour day, for children aged 5 to 11. Find them at https://northeastsport.as.me.

How do I cancel my membership?

Cancel your direct debit through or membership page https://northeastsport.co.uk/membership/ or let us know by email at support@northeastsport.co.uk. No cancellation fees, no notice period, no awkward phone calls.

How do I get in touch?

Email: support@northeastsport.co.uk

Phone or WhatsApp: 07883 885708

Address: North East Sport, Monkwearmouth Academy, Sunderland, SR6 8LG

Taster bookings: https://northeastsport.as.me

Kit shop: https://kitlocker.shop/northeastsportsfc