Abbots Youth FC ("the club", "we", "us") is a community youth football club based at Manor House Grounds, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, WD5 0DD. We are run entirely by volunteers. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why, and your rights. If you have any questions, contact us at info@abbotsyouthfc.co.uk.
1. Information we collect
- Contact us (website form or email): your name, email address and message.
- Register a player (via our online form hosted by JotForm): the player's name, date of birth and team, the parent/carer's contact and emergency details, and any medical or additional-needs information you choose to give us.
- Reserve kit (Boot Room): your name, email, team and item reference.
- Coach Zone account: your name, email and a securely stored password, plus the team(s) you coach.
- Photographs and video taken at training, matches and club events (see section 4).
- Automatically: only essential cookies (see section 7). We do not use advertising or analytics cookies.
2. How and why we use it
To run the club (teams, training, matches), register players with the league and The FA, keep children safe (safeguarding, emergency and medical information), communicate about club news and administration, answer enquiries and kit reservations, and celebrate the club on our website and social media.
Our lawful bases are consent (e.g. registration, medical information and photographs), legitimate interests (running and administering the club), legal obligation (safeguarding and league/FA requirements) and vital interests (emergencies).
3. Children's information
Most of the information we hold is about children. We collect it from a parent or carer, or with their knowledge, and use it only to run the club and keep children safe. We never use children's information for marketing.
4. Photographs and video
We may take and use photographs and video of players, teams and club events — for example on our website, in newsletters and on our social media — but only where permission has been given (usually by a parent or carer, at registration or on the day).
Permission can be withdrawn at any time. Just contact the club at info@abbotsyouthfc.co.uk and we will stop using the images going forward and remove them from our own website and social media where we can.
If an image has already been published by the press or another third party, it may then be in the public domain and outside our control — in that case we may not be able to remove it, but we will still stop using it ourselves.
5. Who we share it with
Only where necessary: The FA and West Herts Youth League (registration and safeguarding), JotForm (online registration and payment), Postmark (delivering website emails), Vivid Atom Limited (website hosting), and emergency services/medical staff in an emergency. We never sell your information.
6. How long we keep it
Only as long as needed:
- Website and Boot Room messages: up to 12 months.
- Player registration and safeguarding records: while the player is with the club, and afterwards as required by The FA, the league and our insurers.
- Coach Zone accounts: while you are an active coach, then deleted on request.
- Photographs: only while permission remains in place.
7. Cookies
We use a small number of essential cookies: a session cookie when you log in to the Coach Zone, and an optional "keep me logged in" cookie if you choose it. These are needed for the site to work. We do not use tracking or advertising cookies, so no cookie banner is required.
8. Your rights
You have the right to:
- ask for a copy of the information we hold about you (or your child);
- ask us to correct or delete it;
- object to or restrict how we use it;
- withdraw consent at any time — including for photographs.
To make a request, email info@abbotsyouthfc.co.uk. We may ask you to verify your identity (and, for a child, that you are their parent or carer).
9. Complaints
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, please contact us first. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113.
10. Changes
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be on this page.