WIVENHOE TOWN are preparing for a day of celebration.

The Dragons’ youth section has been awarded the FA Charter Standard and an official presentation is taking place before tomorrow’s Thurlow Nunn League premier division match at home to Saffron Walden.

All the club’s youth teams, parents and guardians have been invited and there will be a number of activities before and during the game, including a guard of honour for the first-team players, a half-time penalty shoot-out and a chance for youngsters to meet mascot Wivvy The Dragon.

“The club firmly believes that the youth of today will be their team of tomorrow,” said Wivenhoe child welfare officer Paul Whearty, who has overseen the Charter Standard process - an award presented to clubs and leagues that are well-run, sustainable and prioritise child protection, quality coaching and implementation of the Respect programme.

“To help realise this dream, we started to engage with the FA to understand what we needed to have in place to encourage, recruit, develop and retain youth footballers.

“The FA set a number of objectives that needed to be met by the club which included good facilities, equipment, educated coaches, managers and volunteers.

“This included knowledge of the game, safeguarding all those in their care, creating a fun environment and delivering coaching sessions developed by the FA to increase a players’ technical, social, physical and communication skills.

“The club strove for the next year and a half to gather the right people who the club could trust to deliver these objectives.

“Now, as a reward and acknowledgement from the FA for all their hard work, we have been awarded the Charter Standard level for coaching youth football.

“It’s a great achievement for the club and a proud moment for Wivenhoe to enter into its history books as it continues to grow in strength and back to its former glory days.

“We really hope as many people as possible come along tomorrow to make it a great day, celebrating a great achievement.”

Elsewhere in the premier division this weekend, STANWAY ROVERS head to Ely City.

Angelo Harrop’s side will be aiming to bounce back after the disappointment of the FA Vase exit at St Margaretsbury last Saturday.

FC CLACTON travel to Haverhill Rovers.

Kieron Shelley’s side will be determined to build on last week’s first victory of the season, against Swaffham.

Although they stay bottom of the table, it was a result that lifted them to within three points of the Norfolk side.

BRANTHAM ATHLETIC are at home to Kirkley and Pakefield - giving them an immediate chance to exact revenge for last week’s 4-2 defeat against the Royals up on the Norfolk coast.

HALSTEAD TOWN manager Mark Benterman is happy for his team to stay under the radar as they stealthily maintain their pursuit of division one promotion.

The Humbugs took another step forward with a 2-0 win against Whitton United last weekend and continue with two home games - against March Town United tomorrow and AFC Sudbury Reserves on Tuesday.

The Whitton win lifted them to sixth in the table with four games in hand over leading duo Coggeshall and Stowmarket.

But Benterman said: “I don’t mind that we are under the radar at the moment.

“It happened last year with the late surge that we made and people suddenly said ‘where have you come from’ when we headed into the final game with a chance of being promoted.”

Elsewhere in division one it’s BRAINTREE TOWN RESERVES against COGGESHALL TOWN and HOLLAND FC against King’s Lynn Reserves.