The 43 County Football Associations are the administrative backbone of grassroots football throughout the country. The Counties are independent bodies, affiliated to The Football Association, but responsible for running all aspects of the game at the local level. Around 40,000 football clubs in total are affiliated to County FAs.
Many of the County F.A.s have been in existence from more than a century. Sheffield FA (now Sheffield & Hallamshire) was the first to be formed, in 1867, and was followed by Birmingham (1875), Surrey and Shropshire, both in 1877, Berks and Bucks, Cheshire and Lancashire (all 1878). The key administrative functions of County F.A.s revolve around the affiliation of local competitions and leagues, registration of players, organisation of match officials and administering of discipline.
Over recent years, Counties have expanded their activities and are now involved in developing the game at the local level, through initiatives such as coaching, Mini-Soccer, women's and girls' football, and running training programmes for referees and First Aid courses.
Each County is working towards implmenting a Development Plan, in conjunction with local partners. In each area, the County FA co-ordinates a Local Football Partnership, which bring together football and other partners to create and prioritise football facility and development plans for the locality.
For the latest news from the Counties, visit this section on a regular basis