The One Show- Rayleigh F.C.
ADR Group is a proud sponsor of Rayleigh F.C. - as featured on Thursday’s (8th July) episode of The One Show, BBC One.
Brian Mitchell MBE (79), co-founder of Rayleigh F.C. over 45 years ago, was featured on the show’s section “One Big thank you” which recognised his services to youth football.
Brian is the heartbeat of the football club and the driving force behind its growth to the largest youth football club in Essex.
We are extremely proud to be part of this amazing football club and wish to thank Brian for all of his hard work over the years.
To watch this episode of The One Show, click here.
The History of Rayleigh F.C.
Rayleigh Boys was founded in 1976 and is regarded by the Essex Football Association as the largest youth football club in Essex. It is now one of the largest junior football clubs in the country with around 900 members. Brian Mitchell, a co-founder of the club, was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for his services to youth football.
By 1980 the club had 8 teams in total. In 1995, Rayleigh F.C. was formed to give players an opportunity to play senior football. Mini Soccer was introduced in 1997 and Rayleigh boys played a part in founding the South East Essex Primary Mini Soccer League in the same year.
The club involves itself in many community schemes, supporting Rayleigh Town Council in funding drainage for the pitches at King George V Playing Field and supporting the outside gym equipment project in Rayleigh parks. Rayleigh FC has also worked in partnership with Active Rochford in providing free training to children in the community and their “Kits for Africa” which has seen over 3 tons of recycled football kits and equipment sent to some of the most deprived areas of South Africa and Ghana. They were also one of the first clubs in the country to invest in heart defibrillators at all grounds and have trained every manager to use them.
In 2010, the club registered its first 2 adult teams and one veteran's team under the Rayleigh F.C. name and its first all-girls team played its opening match at Chichester fields as Rayleigh Girls Youth Football Club.
Today, the club has 64 registered teams, 10 of which are all-girls teams.
The club is committed to continuing to offer opportunities for boys and girls of all abilities to play organised football with an emphasis on development and fun. The club has a structured approach to training and development using FA qualified and DBS approved managers and coaches. Rayleigh F.C. considers inclusivity to be of the utmost importance ensuring no child is excluded from the opportunity to play. The club fosters a culture of fair play and friendship throughout its games and emphasises playing the game in an honest manner, showing respect for the opposing team.