Welcome to the #COGSEUROFEST25 Information Page.  All the details should be below but if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email or message!  If there are any amendments to the festival details, we will post them here.

Updates will be sent periodically and they can be found on the Updates menu on this website.

Please scan the QR code to sign up or click on this link:  https://forms.gle/MXmpZmxtEWTBA4o27

NUMBER OF PITCHES = 6.   WE WILL HAVE 3 PITCHES FOR BEGINNERS/INTERMEDIATE, 2 PITCHES FOR INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED AND 1 PITCH FOR WALKING FOOTBALL  

The pitches are GRASS and not 3G.

We have a maximum number of 30 team spaces available for our running rec. teams and 6 team spaces for our walking football teams, which will mean that the Festival will continue throughout the day to accommodate all the teams.  We want to gather together as many women’s recreational teams as possible to enjoy a fun day of meeting each other and playing football together.  We must stress that this is NOT a tournament, it’s a festival for fun and enjoyment.  If you want to win trophies, this probably isn’t the right festival for you.

Please get your team details in quickly to ensure your place. It will be first come, first served and our last Festival in 2022 filled up really quickly.   You can use the QR Code below:

All teams will be (randomly) given countries to play as, like we usually do, to tie in with the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Competition.  The team will then play as their country throughout the day.  Teams will only be confirmed as being entered, once the Sign Up Form has been completed and the fee of £50 (for each team) has been paid.  Payment should be made to the Crawley Old Girls bank account, with the reference as:  Your team name or abbreviation so we know who it is and CEF25 please.  Account no. 31720986 S/C: 60 06 20.  Thank you. Once received, you will receive your confirmation of payment.  The Sign Up Google Form will be acknowledged and recorded in chronological order.

DATE/TIMES: 

Timetable:

08.00 – 08.45  BREAKFAST (TO BE CONFIRMED)

08.45 – 09.15  REGISTRATION AT THE CONTROL TENT

09.15 – 09.25  SET UP

09.25 – 09.40  ANNOUNCEMENTS & MANAGERS’ BRIEFING

09.40 –  09.55  WARM UP

09.55 – 09.59  GET READY TO START GAMES

10.00 – 15.00  GAMES/LUNCH

15.00 – 16.00  RAFFLE/PRESENTATION & TIDY UP

Note:  Times may be subject to change.

ADDRESS:  

The festival will be held at Oakwood Football Club, Tinsley Lane, Crawley, RH10 8AT.  Please car share where possible as it would be great to reduce the number of cars needing to park.   If you are staying over there are plenty of taxi companies available.

WHO CAN PLAY?

#COGSEUROFEST25 is for Women’s Recreational players only, aged 30+.  We will, however, accommodate 2 players in each team who are between 26 and 29, with only ONE of those players playing at any one time.  There are many women who will be 40+ and to keep up with the younger players sometimes proves quite difficult but we don’t want to exclude too many players.  Players who are registered with FA Affiliated Leagues are not eligible to play, unless those Leagues are purely recreational.   Your team managers will know if you are eligible or not.  Obviously, the more players you have in your team, the less playing time there will be, so that will be left to your own judgement.

ABILITIES:

We will have 2 ability groups – Beginners/Intermediate and Intermediate/Advanced.  Please, please, make sure your teams are entered into the correct groups to ensure the enjoyment of everyone.  We also have a Walking Football (40+) group this year, too.

AWARDS: 

As in our previous festivals, we won’t have trophies to win but we have awards for those players/teams who display good practice, good sportsmanship, skills and overall awesomeness, in their groups.  These will be decided by the referees (who are allocated to your pitches) and agreed by the festival organisers.  Every player will receive a medal.

RAFFLE:

We will be holding a raffle during the day, where the proceeds will be split between the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation and Women’s Aid.  We have raised some good amounts in previous festivals, so hope to do the same again.  Please bring plenty of cash, especially notes!  We will be looking at getting some good raffle prizes, so if you know someone who can donate one, please get in touch. For example, signed shirts are always a good start!

REFRESHMENTS:

During the day refreshments will be available.  The bar will be open and there will be a BBQ.

GAMES:

The games will probably be 15 minutes each, played straight through, to accommodate the number of teams but this could be subject to change if the number of entries are different.   7v7 with maximum 3 substitutes, which can include your 2 x 26-29 aged players but only 1 playing at a time.  There will be a short time in between games so we’ll need everyone to be on their pitches, on time.

PHOTOGRAPHY:

We will have two professional photographers who will capture the day’s action, as well as team shots so please make sure that your team members complete the consent column on the Team Sheet, prior to playing.  If they don’t want their image used, we will issue a wristband for them to wear.

INSURANCE:

#COGSEUROFEST25 will be affiliated with Sussex County FA and will be covered by their Public Liability Insurance.  Please make sure your team is covered for accidents/injuries, as a separate cover.  When the Team Sheet is handed in, players listed on that sheet will be playing at their own risk.  We will have First Aid services on site and we would encourage you to bring your first aid kits, too.

WELCOME PACKS:

On arrival at the festival, each team will be given Welcome Packs, which will include a Welcome Note, Team Sheet (if you haven’t already completed one), Fixture List, Programme and a Country flag (laminated, with ties) so you can set up camp as your Country.  All teams will be advised of their Country prior to the event so they can purchase flags if they want to.

There will probably be more to add over the next few weeks but, for now, we hope that covers most things and we look forward to confirming your team entries.

If you have any queries at all, please just ask.