Liverpool FA will join the rest of English football this weekend to promote Play Safe – The FA’s countrywide nationwide campaign to focus attention of the vital importance of safeguarding across our national game.

The Play Safe campaign is also endorsed by the NSPCC and will be supported this weekend [28-29 September] across every level of English football, including the Premier League, EFL, Barclays Women’s Super League, Barclays Women’s Championship, National League and across the grassroots game.

Liverpool FA will be using Play Safe Weekend to highlight the crucial role Club Welfare Officers have within grassroots football, especially for children and ensuring our young footballers know who their Club Welfare Officers are. To promote to everyone how a Club Welfare Officer’s presence helps to create a supportive atmosphere where children feel secure and valued and it’s essential for children to know they can ask for help, as this fosters a culture of openness and trust. 

Liverpool FA’s Youth Advisory Group member Charlie Garrod, spoke to four Club Welfare Officers from across our area to find out more about their key role:

This year’s Play Safe campaign focuses on the safeguarding role that everyone can play – coaches, players, parents/carers, spectators or volunteers – to keep children and young people safe, no matter what the football setting. 

To support the campaign, a series of Know Your Role videos have been launched across our channels, highlighting the different roles around football and everyone’s responsibility in safeguarding.

England Football has also produced a special video with three survivors of non-recent childhood sexual abuse in football, who share their experiences and discuss how safeguarding requires adults, including parents/carers to spot the signs, ask the right questions and speak up to prevent abuse from happening.

On the pitch, grassroots youth team captains will be wearing Play Safe armbands and youth team coaches wearing Play Safe pin badges, up and down the country in support, including in Liverpool FA.

As part of this year’s Play Safe campaign, we are once again promoting the free England Football Learning online Safeguarding Awareness Course for Parents & Carers to raise awareness around safeguarding and how to report any concerns. The free course provides important information that guides parents and carers through questions they should ask to ensure the club or venue where children play football has the correct safeguarding policies, people and practices in place.

The FA’s Head of Safeguarding, Sue Ravenlaw, said: “The central push behind this year’s Play Safe weekend is to create awareness for the vital safeguarding role they can play in football. It really is about Everyone, Everywhere, Every Time.

“The Play Safe weekend is a fantastic way of highlighting the importance of safeguarding and putting this at the forefront of people’s minds, not just for this weekend, but throughout the season. This year, our campaign is for everyone to know their role in safeguarding, and we look forward to seeing clubs at every level of the game showing their support across the weekend, to make sure football is safe, fun, and enjoyable for all.”

Anthony Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Liverpool FA added: “Play Safe is an important weekend to remind everyone involved in the game about the importance of Safeguarding in football as well as within the wider community. Safeguarding impacts on all aspects of the game, whether it is playing, coaching, refereeing or spectating, everyone can play a part in ensuring that football is safe for everyone. Unfortunately, there are still people who will use the power of football to target the most vulnerable in our community, but together we can make a difference and ensure football remains fun for everyone. We look forward to seeing Play Safe being promoted across our grassroots community this weekend.”

You can read more about Play Safe 2024 here.