The Chair of Lincolnshire FA, Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, has written an open letter to the grassroots football community of Lincolnshire. He has reflected on the progress the game and the Association has made, shared some important updates, and looked ahead to what promises to be a significant year in 2025.

The letter reads: 

As we start a new, another exciting year for football in Lincolnshire, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the progress we’ve made, share some important updates, and look ahead to what promises to be a significant year in 2025.

A New Home For Lincolnshire FA

One of the biggest changes on the horizon is our upcoming move to a new headquarters. After many years in our current home, the time has come to transition to a temporary home while we develop and build a new Lincolnshire Football Centre that meets the evolving needs of our staff, volunteers, and the football community.

This decision is central to Lincolnshire FA’s commitment to enhancing and expanding the football infrastructure to better serve the needs of players, coaches, referees, and communities in the region.

The move away from Nettleham, involving the sale of the building which we currently own, will support both the development of the proposed Football Centre, and support the delivery of key strategic projects across the County. Rest assured that myself, the CEO, and the Board do not believe in amassing capital within Lincolnshire FA for no specific purpose.

Instead, we intend to reinvest much of the proceeds of the sale of Nettleham back into Lincolnshire football. We will do this wisely and with much due diligence, so this won't be overnight. But we’ll keep everyone updated on the progress and timeline of the move and of our reinvestment plans as these progresses during 2025.

National Changes

As part of a nationwide effort to shape the future of grassroots football, The FA has launched the ambitious "Grassroots 2040" project. This initiative focuses on ensuring vibrant, sustainable, and thriving grassroots football communities for future generations. The project is directly overseen by The FA through the National Game Board (NGB), with oversight by The FA Board.

With a clear vision and a commitment to delivering a transformed participant experience, the project aims to increase County FA support for participants through more engaging and developmental roles - putting more "boots on the ground" to add real value at the local level.

November saw the second phase of regional consultation events, where County FA leaders discussed potential boundary realignments, local identity, and future service delivery models. Alongside these events, a customer survey was conducted to gather feedback directly from participants, ensuring that the grassroots voice shapes the project’s outcomes.

Looking ahead, the next steps include presenting the project’s direction to The FA Board in the coming months. As we await further developments, we remain committed to supporting our grassroots communities in Lincolnshire and will continue to keep you informed as the project progresses.

Discipline & Youth Game Progress

At Lincolnshire FA, we are committed to fostering a positive matchday environment across all levels of the game, and it’s fantastic to see the impact of our collective efforts, not least our new Lincolnshire-wide Positive Matchday Environment rules.
• Misconduct reports in Lincolnshire-affiliated youth leagues are down compared to this time last year, with five out of six leagues reporting a reduction.
• Impressively, two leagues have had zero misconduct reports up to December 1st.
• Our largest youth league, Mid Lincs, which supports nearly 500 teams, has seen a 22% drop in misconduct reports.

This progress is a testament to the dedication of clubs, coaches, referees, and parents in creating a respectful and enjoyable football environment for young players.

Supporting this effort, 101 youth clubs across Lincolnshire have received complimentary Respect Barriers and Respect Marshal vests, helping to reinforce the importance of positive sideline behaviour. Additionally, our Respect Marshal training video has been viewed over 2,200 times on YouTube, showing a real commitment to improving matchday experiences.

Thank you to everyone involved in driving this positive change - together, we are shaping a better future for grassroots football in Lincolnshire.

A Special Thanks

I would also like to take this opportunity to offer my heartfelt thanks to our Respect Marshalls and Club Welfare Officers. These are tough, often unseen roles, but they are absolutely vital to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all participants.

Your dedication ensures that we uphold the highest standards, allowing football to flourish across the county. Your work doesn’t go unnoticed, and we are deeply grateful for all that you do.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As we turn our attention to 2025, there’s a great deal to be excited about. We’ll be launching new initiatives to support club development, enhancing our coach education offer, and strengthening our partnerships to improve facilities across Lincolnshire.

We’re also looking forward to celebrating the successes of our local football community, from grassroots achievements to cup finals.

In addition, we remain committed to delivering high-quality services and support for our leagues, clubs, and volunteers, ensuring that everyone involved in Lincolnshire football feels valued and supported.

On behalf of everyone at Lincolnshire FA, I’d like to wish you all a happy and healthy New Year. Thank you for your continued passion and support - together, we are making football happen.

Here’s to another fantastic year of grassroots football!

- Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam

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