A new youth football club which will run around 50 teams next season has been established in Saffron Walden following a merger between two teams in the town.
Spartak Saffron Walden Youth and Saffron Walden Town Youth FC have now become Saffron Walden Community Football Club (SWCFC) after members of the two clubs voted in favour of the merger, and the move was also backed unanimously by the Saffron Walden Town FC board.
Following those votes, the Football Association also gave their endorsement to the new club, which will be a registered charity.
The new club will also succeed Spartak as a parent club of girls’ team PSG, along with Plantation, which will continue in its current form.
The new interim board held its first meeting on March 22 and preparations are already underway for the 2017-18 season.
Martin Johnson, who was chairman of Saffron Walden Town FC from 2014-2016, will be interim co-chairman of the new club along with Matt Clare, who is currently chairman of Spartak and PSG.
Mr Johnson said: “The new merged club should be a fantastic asset for the town. We will be run as a charity with a real focus on delivering benefits to the local community.
“With the fantastic group of coaches and volunteers we have we are confident with can keep increasing participation in the town and get more people involved in football.
“This is a new era for football in the town, and the potential is very exciting.”
Mr Clare said: “This was too good an opportunity for us to turn down. It is a genuine “merger” and the new club, with the community at its core, will deliver a platform for the next generation of footballers in Saffron Walden that is second to none.
“Regardless of age or experience, every footballer’s personal ambitions can be met in a way that was not possible before.
“Combining our resources will also give us a significant voice when it comes to decisions on funding, enabling us to push for much better football and sport facilities in Saffron Walden.”
Any questions about the new club can be sent to SWCFC secretary Keith Mullins at mullinsk78@gmail.com.
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