Cas Bailey admits his new venture to start a wome’s team for the area has been hit by high costs.
A founding member of Brixton United has slammed the cost of setting up a women’s team for the area.
Cas Bailey, 43, was part of the original group of men who set up the club to battle what he felt were unjustified stereotypes of black people in Brixton in 1988.
While Brixton United has flourished, Bailey admits his next venture to start a women’s team has been hit by a set-back due to the extortionate costs involved in registering any potential side.
“We tried to start a women’s team this season but when I realised how much money it was going to take to get the team running I had to knock it on the head and say it’s not going to happen,” said Bailey.
“And it wasn’t because we didn’t have the players.
“I had a lovely young lady who was really motivated and she really galvanised me to get it going but when I heard the cost that was required to start it, it was crazy.”
Bailey says these costs include £100 to affiliate the team to the London Football Association, while joining the relevant league and insurance payments have taken the price to over £400.
It’s a figure which confuses Bailey. Brixton United FC is already registered with the FA but to register a third or fourth male team would cost an additional £60 on top of their annual affiliation fee.
Mr Bailey was told by the FA that he would need to create a new affiliation if he was to fulfil his ambition of creating a Brixton United women’s team.
And he criticised the FA, branding them as hypocrites.
“I went to a seminar not even four months ago and they were telling me that there are not enough women’s teams,” he said.
“That’s why I met this young lady and said let’s get it going and then all of a sudden they told me the costs – it’s ridiculous. It was double the price of a men’s team. No wonder there are no ladies teams.”
Sarah Barnes, a Women’s & Girls’ Football Development Officer for the South London FA, dismissed Bailey’s claims saying there is no difference between the cost of setting up a men’s team and women’s team.
“If a club is affiliated and they want to create a women’s team, they contact the governance team who will add them on and there is a small fee payable,” she said.
“This is not correct, I am not sure where the figures have come from, but it is all dependant on what they need to pay out for example training, match pitches, referees, affiliation. This would be no more expensive if it was male or female.”
The difficulties have only motivated Bailey to complete the process.
“I can put in for a grant and go to a grant board and to ask them that we are going to do a ladies team, then that will take time, a season at least,” he said.
“It’s put us back another year or so and get it going. I’ll never give up. I’m determined to get the ladies team going.
“If I had the money myself I would do it. But I don’t so I have to go through other channels.”
