At the AAFA general meeting last night our delegate to the SAFA in his report mentioned that the SAFA have a current bank balance of close to £300,000. I know they will incur running costs and expenses during the season but if I recall correctly at the end of last season the balance was around the quarter million mark.
At a time when clubs all over Ayrshire (and I would guess the rest of the country) are struggling to raise money I find it incredible that our senior governing body has this sort of cash in the bank.
Why do they need such a huge balance? Can't some of this money be released to help clubs?
Off the top of my head I can think on a couple of things, cut the membership fee to the SAFA, cut or abolish the entry fee to the Scottish cup, supply clubs with a standard first aid kit, pay a lobbyist to lobby Holyrood to stop the devastating decline in both quantity and quality of facilities.
I understand any of the above could cost a considerable sum but what good is it to the game to have a quarter million pounds sitting in the bank.
btw I'd like to make it clear that the views above are mine personally and nothing to do with my club or committee.

i agree with what you are saying as its a disgrace that we need to be doing all these daft course, for instance the 1st aid course that we must comply with at hampden is identical to the course i do for my work so that would save my team £80 straight away
possible cutting out the public liability and reduce safa fees would help aswell. the public liabilty should be covered in insurance that we pay

Its just another gravy train guys no matter how loud you shout it wont change and the 1st aider course is nothing short of a blatant scam i had a guy who was a trained medic in the army and he was,nt deemed good enough

Also paramedics or doctors aint qualified for it. time safa takes note as to why so many teams are folding

I have raised the finances at the SAFA before and been shot down for it. You are NOT ALLOWED to question them! But £300,000 in the bank is shocking when as you say teams are folding over escalating fee's. The first aid scheme is a joke as well. I have had Saturday players who have done the course but as we are Sunday team he cant qualify for us! Also have a paramedic who doesn't qualify!

i think you will find guys if you have a first aider/paramedic/doctor in yoru team and he has the certificate to show he is recently taken the course(if im right these are valid for 3 years) then all you need to do is forward the certificate onto the SAFA and they will most likely accept this certificate and therefore you will not need someone else to complete a first aid course and be out of pocket.

I confirmed this with my league and they have agreed that thsi is the case.

We have a first aider at our club the now who took the course, but as i get my first aid completed through the work i will start to use mine as off next year.

In regards to the money i totally agree that if they have this sort of cash sitting in the bank then fees shoudl be looked at to help out the clubs as its nto cheap running a football team nowadays.