Beckwithshaw Saints Junior Football Club are an FA Charter Standard Club with a simple ethos: to provide a safe and fun environment for children of all ages from Harrogate and the surrounding area so they can learn and participate in football.

The Club was founded in 2004 and is run on a completely voluntary basis by many enthusiastic parents, all giving their time to live the ethos and continually make The Saints a success. The Club has an established infrastructure running teams from Under 6’s up to Under 16’s with Girls’ teams also in place for Under 10’s, Under 12’s, Under 14’s, Under 16’s & Under 18’s. The younger age groups and Girls’ teams continue to prove very popular which means the Club is continuing to grow year on year. Some of the age groups also have Development Squads, to assist in developing basic techniques, and confidence in playing football. The youngest age group, the Under 6’s, provides for many children not only their first taste of football but also any form of team sport which is immensely valuable to their personal development and self-esteem.

Based in Harrogate with a new “home” at our community partner Rossett School, the Club now provides a football opportunity for around 400 children. We continue to play games in the village of Beckwithshaw itself whenever possible along with utilising facilities at Queen Ethelburga’s Recreation Ground (Young’s Drive) and Killinghall Moor Recreation Ground. In the drier months, training for most age groups, is held on a Saturday morning, on Harrogate’s famous Stray, on Stray Rein / Oatlands Stray from 9:30am. In the winter and wetter months, most age groups utilise the 3G pitch at Rossett School.

Furthermore, we have a relationship with the Beckwithshaw Saints open-age team, with the long term goal that this will provide a natural progression for our junior players, as they move into open age football.

All age groups are run by qualified FA Coaches who have attended and passed the appropriate FA Qualification requirements. This includes not just coaching but also First Aid and Child Protection courses. All coaches and referees we provide have been rigorously checked by the club and have successfully gone through the CRB process by the FA. Additionally, the club has a Code of Conduct, that anyone connected with the club – players, parents, coaches and officials are required to adhere to at all times. We also ensure we hold relevant insurance for the activities of the club details of which are available on request.