Over the past few days we've received some enquiries from clubs regarding London FA's affiliation fees, and how they will compare to those set by other County Football Associations going forward.  

We therefore wanted to take this opportunity to explain to everyone the rationale behind how we have set our affiliation fees for the 2020-21 season and how we hope it strikes the right balance in these difficult times.

• The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on every business across the UK. As part of the leisure and hospitality sector, football has been particularly affected and the London FA is no different. London FA's income is a combination of fees from grassroots football activity and a grant from The FA. 
  
  
• 2020/21 is going to be a very difficult season for everyone in football as we all navigate the COVID-19 crisis and in light of this on-going uncertainty, we have worked hard to strike a balance between how we support our clubs and whilst at the same time managing the financial sustainability of the London FA.
  
  
• The package we've developed offers a significantly reduced fee per team affiliation (free for youth teams) - as well as a 16.6% discount on Personal Accident insurance.
  
  This will hopefully be a welcome reduction for our member clubs. Both of these fees are ‘per team’ costs and so are generally the most expensive part of affiliation, especially for the larger clubs.  
  
  
• We've also introduced significant flexibility regarding payment, by giving clubs until 31st August 2020 to pay for their affiliation invoices and to clear any outstanding debts from last season (as opposed to the usual 14 days from invoice payment due by date).
  
  This allows clubs to get the administrative requirements of affiliation completed immediately, but if they wish to delay their payment until we all have clarity on a season start date and are in a stronger position financially, then they can do that.

We would also recommend that member clubs visit the new COVID-19 support page for clubs and leagues that we have developed, as this contains a great deal of important information and guidance on external funding and grant opportunities. 

The team at London FA are always on hand to support and advise clubs with any applications and you can access this page by clicking here