The Phoenix UTD FC (PUFC) club was founded in 2002. The guiding principles were to be an emphasis on football skills, teamwork and a development programme for personal and social responsibility. A major part of this development programme was to be the opportunity for the players to progress from junior football into the senior game. Since 2002 the club has grown from a single team playing in the U11’s age group to a club with teams ranging from U7 to U15 year olds, with over 150+ children. We now have 20 FA qualified coaches

The club allocate a budget, to be used to subsidise training course fees for our coaches and managers and for spending on training manuals, DVDs and equipment. As part of our commitment to the social development of our players, both as individuals and team players we insist on a very strong sense of personal and group responsibility. This ranges from a commitment to training and teamwork, to acceptance of the published club constitution and code of discipline, including the acceptance of the decisions of officials, both on and off the field of play. This ethic can be seen in both the players’ attitude to the game and their opponents and to our disciplinary record on the field. A part of the club’s policy is the commitment to helping the players grow both as footballers and individuals. This means that those who show the required dedication and skill can continue in the game, where they pursue their football or coaching careers. It also means that those who choose to stop playing football with the club will leave the club as better prepared and more socially aware individuals than they would be had they chosen not to play the game, or to have played for another club. Hence, the widely admired Mentoring & Drugs Awareness Programme run by the PUFC.

The commitment of the PUFC to the rules and principles of the game are further reinforced by the fact that the club has been awarded the FA Charter. Further to this we have put in place the procedures and processes that will enable the club to apply for the FA Development Club Award.

All of the above activities form part of an integrated approach to the game and are recognition by the club, its managers, coaches and committee of the responsibility they hold for the development of its players, whatever their age. This responsibility can only be effectively met, if all concerned in the activities of the club, act with integrity and honesty towards each other and those we meet on the field of play. In addition the club continues to move forward on all levels, such as, but not limited to:

• The procurment of a new 'Tractor' to aid with the maintenance of our training field
• The purchase and installment of our new Flood Lights for safety and night-matches/training
• The purchase of new training kits
• The procurment of a state-of-the-art V.E.O Camera system to analyse our football training techniques to help us to continue to Learn and Develop our youth
• Additional 'Vest' purchase for team matches and training
• ...and including the procument of 'Speed Cameras' to aid with youth training development.

All involved in the running of the PUFC recognise that we can only teach our players that fair play can win, and honesty does pay, if we can show them that we ourselves believe these things. This can only happen if we act in accordance with those principles and within the rules of the game. Teamwork makes the dreamwork.