The new system has been trialled in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey since last summer and after a mountain of positive feedback, a national rollout will commence in March.
We identified that the old system was no longer fit for purpose and have developed the new Club Portal to be easier, faster, paper-free and mobile-friendly.
And crucially, it will help grassroots volunteers like Isle of Man FA junior football leagues secretary, Steve Callister, use their time more effectively.
“We did have an awful lot of issues with player registration and the system was very poor when it was first brought out. Every time we tried to do something, we had problems with it,” said Callister.
“It took up a lot of our time but now with the new system, it seems to have resolved all of those issues.
“As a volunteer, the time I don’t spend registering players is my own time to do with as I please - so any time I can save is a win for me!”
The new system now relies on the clubs registering their players for the league’s approval and eliminates the risk of player duplication.
Data is also easily downloadable in a variety of formats, while we have worked hard to ensure the page speed is quicker and the overall user experience is vastly improved.
“Before you could add any player to any team but with the new system, after you’ve entered their data, you’re given a list of teams they are eligible for - which means less mistakes are being made,” added Callister.
“It’s very simple and the same goes for transfers. With the old system, all of that used to be done via paper forms but now it’s all online. All we have to do is approve it so everybody’s life is so much easier with this system.
“The data is much easier to see than it was before too which is great. I can pick out any player I want, and find out all the information I need on them.”
We'll be offering online training and additional ‘how to’ videos to support clubs and leagues when making the transition to the new system, which will be mandatory within grassroots football for the upcoming 2021-22 season.
To sign up for player registration training please select either club or league, and complete the form.
