ACTION REQUIRED: REGISTER YOUR 2026/27 TEAMS
- EMJFL
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Preparations for the 2026/27 EMJFL season are now progressing, and we are preparing to begin creating age groups and provisional divisions.
All member clubs must now ensure that every team intending to play in EMJFL during the 2026/27 season is correctly listed within the FA Club Portal and assigned to the East Manchester Junior Football League.
This is an important step. Once a team has an active membership with EMJFL, the League can view it within the FA Competition Portal and begin adding teams to the appropriate age groups and divisions.
Submitting an EMJFL application or confirming your intention to continue does not replace this FA requirement. Clubs must complete the relevant team information through the FA Club Portal.
What Clubs Need to Do
1. Sign in to the FA Club Portal
Club Secretaries or another authorised Club official should access the FA Club Portal and select the Teams tab..
2. Check Your 2026/27 Teams
Review every team that your club intends to enter for the new season.
Existing youth teams should automatically move up by one age group when the new affiliation period opens. However, clubs should still check that every team has the correct:
Team name
2026/27 age group
Playing format
Gender category
Home ground
Team officials
League
The FA confirms that existing youth teams automatically move up an age group, but their information should still be reviewed before affiliation is submitted.
3. Add Any New Teams
Where a new team is not already displayed:
Select Teams
Choose Create Team
Complete the required team details
Add the team’s ground
Add the appropriate Manager and Coaches
All required information must be completed before the team can progress through affiliation.
4. Assign Every Team to EMJFL
From the Teams section, select Manage Leagues and assign the relevant teams to:
East Manchester Junior Football League
Clubs can assign several eligible teams to a league together or update teams individually. Only teams without registered players can normally have their league changed directly. Where players have already been registered, the club may need assistance before moving the team to another league.
Please make sure that the correct league is selected before registering players.
5. Complete Team Affiliation
Once every team’s information is correct:
Select Teams
Choose Affiliate Teams
Check the club details
Select the teams being affiliated
Complete the insurance and safeguarding requirements
Submit the affiliation and make any required payment
Teams cannot be selected for affiliation where required information is missing, including the team ground, officials or relevant qualifications.
Youth Team Requirements
Manchester FA’s current 2026/27 affiliation guidance requires youth teams to have:
Appropriate personal accident insurance
A team ground recorded
All Managers and Coaches assigned to the correct team
The required accepted and in-date DBS checks
Completion of the relevant Safeguarding Children requirements
The club’s safeguarding declaration completed
Clubs must also hold suitable public liability insurance.
Why This Is Important
Teams that are correctly assigned to EMJFL become visible to the League within the FA Competition Portal.
This allows us to:
Confirm the teams entering at each age group
Begin producing provisional divisions
Identify where additional teams may be needed
Prepare League and Cup competitions
Complete the necessary Full-Time setup
A team will appear for division allocation where it has active League membership—for example, because it selected EMJFL during affiliation or was assigned to EMJFL using the Club Portal’s league-management function.
Deadline
Please complete this process by:
31st July 2026
The sooner all teams are correctly displayed, the sooner we can begin sharing proposed division structures with clubs.
Need Help?
If your team has been added but is not appearing under EMJFL, or you are unsure whether it has been completed correctly, please email:
Include your:
Club name
Team name
2026/27 age group
Current league shown in the FA Club Portal
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