Football Debt Recovery

Clubs and Leagues can ask the County Football Association to assist them in reclaiming Football Debts from their members.

Football Debts are defined as those costs arising directly from football activity, for example discipline fines, match fees and pitch hire. It does not include fund raising activities or physical property such as playing kits or training equipment.

The Club must have taken reasonable steps to recover the money, including making a formal request for repayment in writing. This does not include text messages or WhatsApp. A template letter can be found at the bottom of this page.  

If the debt has not been repaid within 28 days, it can be escalated to the County FA. 

Please note there is a minimum limit of £25 for non-discipline related debts and we can only take action over debts incurred within the past 112 days. Each action incurs a £25 administration fee which must be paid up front by the Club; however, this fee is included in overall Debt Recovery action and will be refunded to the Club when paid.

Submitting a Debt Recovery Request

If you want the Berks & Bucks FA to launch a Debt Recovery Action you must contact us within 112 days of the debt being incurred. You can submit an application to the County FA using the template below.  

In all cases, the following information must be provided:

1. A full list of the debts, including the dates incurred
2. Copies of formal written demands for payment 
3. Full name, date of birth, last known address and FAN number of the player/s

The County will confirm that the debt is valid and issue a formal request for payment. 

Payment must be made to the county within 21 days or the player/Club will be suspended from all football activities until payment is made. 

The County will then refund all fees to the club and remove any suspensions.  

The formal FA Regulations relating to Debt Recovery can be found below.

More Information

For additional support on managing Club disciplinary fines, click here.

If you are seeking to claim Debts not covered by The FA Debt Recovery programme you may wish to consider seeking legal advice, or a Court Claim. 

For information on reclaiming Club Equipment, click here.

If you need any further support on this topic, please contact us via the Support Hub.

For more information about managing a grassroots football Club, please visit www.Berks-BucksFA.com. Alternatively, find us on socials @berksandbucksfa for the latest news and updates.