Stevenage Borough Juniors Football Club

About Our Club

A Charter Standard Club Providing Football for Girls, Boys and Ladies

From 5 to 18

Stevenage Borough Juniors are a self funded club with a philosophy of 'Sport For All'. The club was one of the first clubs to obtain the Football Association 'Charter' mark in Stevenage. We are the one of, if not the largest junior club in Hertfordshire, running 35 sides - 18 boys' mini-soccer teams, 12 boys 11 a-side teams, 4 girls teams and 1 ladies team. In addition we have about 50 young children in our under 5/6 age group. This nursery introduces basic skills to young children and provides a fun environment to grow and learn

The senior club has always encouraged youngsters to participate in organised association football and Stevenage Borough Juniors Football Club was set up some fifteen years ago. In this arrangement, the club was pro-active, - and celebrated in having representative teams in most of the youth leagues in the area.

However, during 1995, the senior club progressed with it’s stated objective of bringing the very best standard of football to Stevenage. The commissioning of the School of Excellence signalled the end of the Stevenage Borough Juniors as the youth section of the senior club, because under F.A. law, the two different standards cannot co-habit in the same club.

Regrettably, the Juniors had to be jettisoned, fortunately, a large number of the Juniors were lucky to be selected for the School, but the majority of the existing players were left in ‘limbo’.

The teams that remained wanted to continue as before and elected to register as an independent club with it’s own F.A. affiliation. However, they had always been known as ‘the Boro’, and wanted to remain so.

It was at this time that the Supporters Association was thriving, and anxious to provide an effective service to it’s growing membership. After discussions, and endorsement by the attendant members at it’s AGM, the junior football club was effectively absorbed by the Association, legitimising the use of the Stevenage Borough name again, albeit embodying the ‘Supporters Association’ in the title.

Originally, Stevenage Borough Juniors and Bragbury Athletic Youth combined to form the new club. Since then, Lazio Juniors (from Hitchin) and Longmeadow Athletic have also elected to join us. Eight seasons ago saw the formation of our Girls section and we are now represented in the Hertfordshire Girls League and the Chilterns Junior Sevens. In addition to this, for the past 2 seasons we have an exit route for female players, with the creation of a Ladies team. Our Ladies team play in Division 1 West of the Eastern Region Womens league, and this season played in the womens FA Cup. Our proud boast is that we can now offer organised competitive football and safe training to over 430 children within our 35 teams and Under 6 age group, from Under 6’s to Under 18’s.

We are always looking to recruit boys and girls of any ability and provide equal opportunities to everyone. We may not be able to promise regular football as a first choice player, but Stevenage Borough Juniors FC is committed to providing football for as many children as is physically possible.

The club offers more than just football, we care for the children and we provide a safe and sound environment in which they can have fun, learn and develop into healthy, strong and responsible young adults.

· 5-7 year olds, where our emphasis is on fun, co-ordination, playing games, learning new individual skills and working together

· 7-10 year olds, playing Mini Soccer, that will provide a solid base for children to gain experience of playing small sided football matches in the Stevenage Mini Soccer and Royston Crow Leagues. Here the emphasis is on enjoyment, developing soccer skills, working as a team and sporting behaviour.

· 11-17 year olds, playing 11 a-side football in the Royston Crow League, County and League cups. Continued development of technique, first touch and skill levels, tactical awareness, fitness conditioning, physical development and general knowledge of the sport.

· A Thriving Girls Section that plays mini soccer and 11 a-side in the Herts Girls League and Chiltern League, with an exit route into Ladies football via our Boro Ladies playing in the Eastern region Womens League