1 September 2026

As we approach the start of another new and exciting season for Hough End Griffins, I wanted to share an update on the progress we’ve made together. Last season was one of transition, positive change and renewed purpose — and I’m personally very proud of how far the club has come in a short space of time. Here's a little bit about what we have been doing and what's coming up this season!

Last season was a successful transition period for our new committee, who have worked incredibly hard to learn the ropes, improve our systems, and strengthen the foundations of the club. Thank you to everyone who has stepped up, supported the process, and helped us move forward with confidence. Our new committee members can be seen on the About tab at the bottom of this page.

We have now moved to ClubZap - our new membership platform. This has already made a huge difference to how we manage registrations, payments and team updates. A big thank you to everyone who has downloaded the app and registered — your support has helped us streamline the club and reduce admin for volunteers.

We have restructured our subs whilst maintaining the same overall cost to help keep things simple, transparent and affordable for families. Subs are now £21 per month, with no extra annual fee, making Hough End Griffins one of the most affordable grassroots clubs in Manchester. On top of this, we are committing to providing a free kit for every player, supported by our fantastic sponsors. We are proud to be able to do this, and to help keep football accessible for all.

With our new registered charity status, we are able to claim Gift Aid on all donations (but not the subs). If you are able to spare as little as £2 extra per month, please consider donating it to the club. Even if a small number of families are able to do this it will help us to fund the club organically and without the need to increase subs. You can set up a direct debit through our charity site - see link in the About tab at the bottom - it only takes two mins! Thank you.

A huge thank you to all our existing and new sponsors - your contribution directly supports hundreds of young people across South Manchester. Your money is making a real difference - allowing us to provide free kits for all players, keep subs low, and invest in the future of the club. You can see a full list of our sponsors for this season on the main page of this website.

With the help of our sponsors, our new kits will return to the club’s traditional black and white stripes after our 20th anniversary commemorative silver kits, which the young Griffins wore last season. Our iconic black and white kit represents inclusivity and equality — the founding principles of Hough End Griffins — and we are proud to bring this identity back across all age groups over the coming months.

To help keep everyone up to date with news, successes and club activity, we’re continuing to grow our social media presence. You can now follow the club on:

Facebook - Hough End Griffins JFC
Instagram - @houghendgriffins_official
LinkedIn - Hough End Griffins JFC
YouTube - @HoughEndGriffins

We’ll be sharing updates, photos, important information and highlights from across all age groups via these channels — so please give us a follow, engage with our posts, and stay connected with everything happening at Hough End Griffins. You will also see important announcements on ClubZap from time to time, and we will continue to use WhatsApp groups for fixtures and team announcements.

Thanks to your support, we are in a better position than ever to grow, develop and continue providing a safe, inclusive and supportive environment for every player who wears the Griffins badge. If you do have any questions, suggestions or feedback, please do get in touch. And if you want to play a bigger part in the running of the club - I would love to hear from you! Feel free to email me at info@houghendgriffins.com.

Thank you for being part of the Hough End Griffins community - here’s to an exciting season ahead!

Tom Westcott, Chairman
Hough End Griffins JFC

6 June 2026

On Saturday 6th June 2026, our Griffins family came together at St Margarets Centre to celebrate another fantastic season. The all-day celebration was a wonderful opportunity to recognise the effort, commitment and achievements of our players across the club, whilst also bringing together families, coaches and supporters to mark another fantastic year for the Griffins.

The highlight of the day was the awards ceremony, where each team celebrated their standout players from the season. Every squad presented three awards: Players’ Player, Coach’s Player, and a Team Special Award. Our younger Griffins also received participation awards These awards reflect not only talent on the pitch but also our values of commitment, teamwork, fair play and respect.

In addition to the team awards, the prestigious Griffin of the Year award was presented to recognise an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to the club this season. Congratulations to Hassan from the U13s squad who showed incredible resilience and commitment to his team. Despite suffering from a severe knee injury, Hassan continued to show up to support his team whilst being out of action and when he finally returned to play he worked extra hard to get strong again, demonstrating all our club values with his attitude. A well-deserved Griffin of the Year!

During the Chairman's speech we took the opportunity to thank our outgoing committee members and U18s players for their commitment and dedication to the club over the years, and to welcome our new committee.

Beyond the awards, the day was packed with fun activities for players and families alike. There were games throughout the day, a raffle with some fantastic prizes, and a bouncy castle that proved popular with the younger Griffins. A firm favourite also made its return - the legendary “Soak the Coach” challenge, which provided plenty of laughs and ensured a few coaches went home very wet!

Thanks to the incredible support from our community, the event also raised over £1500! These funds will go directly towards the continued development of the club, including investing in coaching, equipment, pitch access, leagues, tournaments, and creating new opportunities for our players.

Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, donated and helped to make the day such a success. Here's to an even bigger and better season when we return from the summer break!

If you're interested in getting involved in the club - as a volunteer, coach or sponsor - you can contact us at info@houghendgriffins.com.