Members of the local grassroots football community have never had more ways of keeping up-to-date with the latest news and information as we expand our presence online and in the local media in 2020.

Marketing and communications functions can be accessed via our website, plus social media channels Twitter and Facebook, while BBC Essex and the print media continue to keep listeners and readers informed. In addition, there are plans to enhance E-Mail, YouTube and Instagram interaction as part of a detailed section of the 2018-21 ‘Moving Forward’ Strategy.

Website

This website is the primary source of news, documents and information for local grassroots football. 174,000+ unique visitors accessed this content during the 2018/19 season, with new pages and features added regularly and expansion plans for 2020.

A key feature of the website is ‘Squad Booster’, a popular facility to pair teams - who place adverts for new players - with individuals browsing the portal. Clubs submit a simple online form with details such as their training and match days and the position/s they require. Batches of adverts are then published weekly and shared on social media for additional exposure.

Twitter and Facebook

Twitter (@EssexCountyFA) is an ever-growing form of social media engagement, communicating with new followers in 2018/19 who accessed and shared information and useful links on a minute-by-minute basis.

Meanwhile, Facebook (EssexFootball) offers an additional dimension of interaction. These feeds play an important part in collecting feedback about grassroots football projects, and 1,200 members of the community submitted feedback via the 2018/19 Grassroots Football Survey. This provided valuable insight for analysis.

BBC Essex and Local Coverage

All BBC Essex Senior Cup Draws are broadcast live from the station’s Chelmsford studios, as well as the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals of the Saturday Premier and Women’s Cups. Host Glenn Speller is a true friend of Essex football, supported by colleagues and special guests.

Elsewhere, many media organisations share our news articles and provide coverage in print and online. The Romford Recorder, the Daily Gazette in Colchester, the Essex Chronicle and the Yellow Advertiser in South Essex have been particularly supportive.

New Plans for 2020

A newsletter is currently shared via E-Mail on the last Friday of every month containing links highlighting local activities across various areas of the game. There are plans to make this more regular in 2020 to a wider audience.

Improved video and audio content are also being planned, with YouTube (EssexFA) and Instagram (essexcountyfa) becoming considerably more popular. These represent a significant growth area in 2020 as further channels to interact with the local game.

The County Office will be closed from 5:00pm on Monday 23rd December until 9:00am on Thursday 2nd January. The best source of information during this time is our website, where E-Mail contacts for staff can be found. Replies will be sent as soon as possible. For urgent discipline enquiries, including disputed send-offs, please E-Mail greg.hart@essexfa.com.