FA COVID-19 UPDATE
PAR002_123 • February 26, 2022
The Government has now removed all remaining COVID-19 Protocols
From Thursday 24 February 2022:-
• People will not be legally required to self-isolate if they test positive for COVID-19, however, the Government advises that they should stay at home if possible and avoid contact with other people.
• People will not have to take daily tests or be legally required to self-isolate following contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Government has also confirmed that sport specific COVID-19 Guidance is no longer required.
There are still steps you can take to reduce the risk of catching and spreading COVID-19:
2. Let fresh air in if meeting indoors, or meet outside
3. Consider wearing a face covering in crowded, enclosed spaces
4. Get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms, and stay at home if positive
The FA urges all participants to continue to follow this Government advice to protect themselves and others.
We also want to take this opportunity to thank all of our football family for their hard work and support over the last two years, through the pandemic and a number of lockdowns.
It's down to the tireless work of our volunteers, coaches and officials that the game has been able to come back as strongly as it has.
You can find further information on COVID-19 in the Government’s plan for Living with COVID.
The Velocity Wessex League Charity Cup sees Premier Division winners, AFC Portchester, take on fellow cup finalists, Hamble Club at the OnSite Group Stadium on July 26 (3pm). CHARITY CUP - PROGRAMME DOWNLOAD This year proceeds from the curtain raising fixture will go to our charity partner, YoungMinds, who champion mental health and wellbeing amongst young people.
The Velocity Wessex League are delighted to announce YoungMinds as its official Charity Partner for the 2025/26 season. YoungMinds is the UK’s leading charity focusing on improving young people's mental health, in addition to raising awareness of mental health, suicide, self harm and social media abuse. Their mission is to see a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health, and all young people get the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what. Hundreds of thousands of young people are struggling with their mental health, but too many are being told to wait, struggling to cope and hitting a crisis point before they get help. But things can get better - with YoungMinds leading the movement for change, providing young people with the tools to look after their mental health while empowering adults to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives.
The Premier Division gets under way on July 29, with the first three rounds of fixtures released, alongside the opening weekend of Division One, which commences on August 2: Tuesday 29th July PREMIER DIVISION Brockenhurst v Petersfield Town Cowes Sports v Baffins Milton Rovers Hamworthy Recreation v Millbrook Wincanton Town v Bournemouth Saturday 2nd August EMIRATES FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND [Ties scheduled for release on Friday 4 July] DIVISION ONE AFC Aldermaston v Folland Sports Alresford Town v Totton & Eling Amesbury Town v Clanfield Ash United v Blackfield & Langley Colden Common v Lymington Town Cove v Frimley Green Fleetlands v Kintbury Rangers Hamworthy United v Fawley AFC Ringwood Town v United Services Portsmouth Romsey Town v Newport IOW Whitchurch United v Yateley United Tuesday 5th August VELOCITY WESSEX LEAGUE CUP FIRST ROUND Romsey Town v AFC Stoneham PREMIER DIVISION Baffins Milton Rovers v East Cowes Victoria Bournemouth v Brockenhurst Christchurch v Hamworthy Recreation Downton v Bemerton Heath Harlequins Millbrook v Cowes Sports Hythe & Dibden v Hamble Club Petersfield Town v Andover New Street New Milton Town v Laverstock & Ford Wincanton Town v Portland United Saturday 9th August PREMIER DIVISION AFC Stoneham v Wincanton Town Brockenhurst v Hamworthy Recreation Cowes Sports v Bournemouth Downton v Petersfield Town East Cowes Victoria v Bemerton Heath Harlequins Hythe & Dibden v Christchurch Laverstock & Ford v Baffins Milton Rovers Millbrook v New Milton Town Portland United v Hamble Club Sherborne Town v Andover New Street Update: Full season fixtures for the Premier Division were released on June 29 - you can view them on Full-Time here . DOWNLOAD THE FIRST EDITION NEWSLETTER FOR 2025/26
The draw for the early rounds of the Velocity Wessex League Cup will take place on Sunday (June 22), live on the Radio Show between 2-4pm. Ten ties will be drawn at the First Round stage, with 22 byes; Ball numbers as follows: 1. AFC ALDERMASTON 2. AFC STONEHAM 3. ALRESFORD TOWN 4. AMESBURY TOWN 5. ANDOVER NEW STREET 6. ASH UNITED 7. BAFFINS MILTON ROVERS 8. BEMERTON HEATH HARLEQUINS 9. BLACKFIELD & LANGLEY 10. BOURNEMOUTH 11. BROCKENHURST 12. CHRISTCHURCH 13. CLANFIELD 14. COLDEN COMMON 15. COVE 16. COWES SPORTS 17. DOWNTON 18. EAST COWES VICTORIA 19. FAWLEY AFC 20. FLEETLANDS 21. FOLLAND SPORTS 22. FRIMLEY GREEN 23. HAMBLE CLUB 24. HAMWORTHY REC 25. HAMWORTHY UNITED 26. HYTHE & DIBDEN 27. KINTBURY RANGERS 28. LAVERSTOCK & FORD 29. LYMINGTON TOWN 30. MILLBROOK 31. NEW MILTON TOWN 32. NEWPORT IOW 33. PETERSFIELD TOWN 34. PORTLAND UNITED 35. RINGWOOD TOWN 36. ROMSEY TOWN 37. SHERBORNE TOWN 38. TOTTON & ELING 39. US PORTSMOUTH 40. WHITCHURCH UNITED 41. WINCANTON TOWN 42. YATELEY UNITED First & Second Round Draw - Updated There will be a different name on the trophy this season, with League and Cup double winners, AFC Portchester (pictured), gaining promotion to the Isthmian South Central. Dates for the ties drawn will be confirmed in due course. The League campaign gets under way on Saturday, August 2 for both the Premier Division and Division One, with fixtures released at the end of June for the Premier Division, and mid-July for Division One (owing to ground shares). Photo: Robin Caddy
The FA have released the following dates to support club planning for its competitions in 2025/26: On Friday 13 June 2025 , we shall be releasing the below information; Round dates for The Emirates FA Cup , The Isuzu FA Trophy , The Isuzu FA Vase and The FA Youth Cup . On Friday 27 June 2025 , we shall be releasing the below information for each Competition; List of Clubs accepted into each Competition (Clubs not accepted into a Competition shall be notified separately regarding that Competition on the same date) List of Clubs to receive exemption Prize Fund On Friday 4 July 2025 , we shall be releasing the below information; The Emirates FA Cup – Extra Preliminary Round & Preliminary Round draws The Isuzu FA Trophy – Preliminary Round & First Round Qualifying draws The Isuzu FA Vase – First Round Qualifying & Second Round Qualifying draws The FA Youth Cup – Extra Preliminary Round & Preliminary Round draws During the week commencing Monday 14 July 2025 , Clubs shall receive the below; Competition Rules (The Emirates FA Cup, The Isuzu FA Trophy, The Isuzu FA Vase and The FA Youth Cup) (by email) Carbonated team sheets (by post) FA wall planner (by post) *Please note, all dates are subject to change, any changes shall be communicated if required.
The FA have released their NLS allocations for Steps 2-6 for the 2025/26 season. The Velocity Wessex Premier Division will comprise of 20 teams, including New Milton Town and East Cowes Victoria - both promoted from Division One - and a return for Bemerton Heath Harlequins who have taken voluntary relegation from the Southern League. We also welcome back Petersfield Town following their single-season lateral move from the Southern Combination League. Departing us are Premier Division champions, AFC Portchester - who alongside runners-up Fareham Town, are both promoted to the Isthmian League South Central - a division featuring local rivals and fellow Wessex alumni - Horndean and Moneyfields.
