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Debt Recovery

Bedfordshire FA operates a system to collect football debts on behalf of affiliated clubs, leagues and other associations.

The following guidelines on Football Debt Recovery are applicable to participants at step 2 and below only, and are limited to a minimum of £50, except for the recovery of disciplinary monies. A £25 administration fee will be added to the total debt to be recovered and forms part of the £50 minimum limit.

Debt Recovery

As described under FA Regulations, football debts are defined as those where actual monies have been expended arising from football activity and as such would include:

  • Match costs (e.g. match fees)
  • Playing expenses (e.g. pitch hire)
  • League costs (e.g. repair to cups)
  • Disciplinary fines and costs

The following are not considered to be football debts:

  • Club subscriptions
  • Fund raising activities
  • League fines
  • Kit and equipment
  • End of season trip costs

Clubs should take reasonable steps to recover the debt before asking Bedfordshire FA to take action, including approaching the debtor personally AND contacting them in writing to seek payment. When writing to the player the club should advise the debtor that the debt will rise once it is referred to Bedfordshire FA as a Football Debt Recovery claim. This rise consists of the £25 creditor fee plus an administration fee of £10.

Bedfordshire FA should be approached as soon as it is clear that there is a problem. In all cases this should be within 28 days of formal payment being requested, and 112 days of the debt being incurred. (For the 2015/16 season we will be lenient with the timings as the process was unavailable for the first half of the season.)

When requesting Football Debt Recovery the creditor must supply the following:

  • Full Name, Date of Birth, last known address & a contact number of the individual(s) responsible for the debt
  • Evidence of the debt
  • Evidence of efforts made by the club to recover the debt (e.g. copies of letters sent to players)
  • £25 debt recovery fee, as detailed above

Upon receipt of a Football Debt Recovery claim, Bedfordshire FA will verify the validity of the debt and notify the Club and Player, by way of the debt recovery letter, of its decision.

Download the Football Debt Recovery form for clubs

Leagues wishing to use the Football Debt Recovery system should contact Bedfordshire FA with details of the claim in the first instance and the claim will be progressed from there. This should be as soon after the end of the season or Folding/Withdrawing of the team in question as possible and include full details of the debt and the steps taken to recover the money.

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