‘It’s been an incredible few years’ says Federation member with a passion for football who’s helped drive the sport’s success within the Force for almost a decade.
Qualified football coach, PC John Boddy, took over the day-to-day organisation of the men’s section of the Northumbria Police Football Club (NPFC) five years ago, following years of playing in the ‘open-age’ squad.
He now directs training as well as manages admin such as travel, registrations and subscriptions.
Additionally, he and Superintendent Neil Hall helped introduce a men’s veteran side – a team of officers and staff over the age of 35 – back in 2021.
The men’s veteran side.
“It’s been an incredible past few years, I have to say. The club has meant a lot to me for a long time, but I feel I’m getting more out of my involvement now than ever before,” John said.
“I have the pleasure of managing a group of high-standard players – some of whom have experience at professional and semi-professional levels – but more importantly, a group of high-standard officers and people.
“Having said that, it’s not all me on my own – Sergeant Pete Moscardini and PC Matty Watson are superb in their assistance with the open-age team, and PCs Ian Handyside and Jacob Meredith do the same with the veterans.
Funding
“We have a really strong team ethic, where everyone is supported by each other and by the Force, with the funding given through the sports and social club.
“It’s all helped us to achieve some brilliant things together.”
NPFC’s open-age team have enjoyed great recent success in the Police Sport UK (PSUK) National Cup, reaching the final of the tournament in the 2016/17 season and then becoming champions in 2022/23 for only the second time in Northumbria Police’s history.
The open age squad.
The cup-winning season also saw them reach the semi-finals of the Emergency Services League (ESFL), home to police, fire and ambulance teams from across the country.
Meanwhile, the veteran side has been making good progress each season since its inception, already recording quarter-final and semi-final appearances in older age versions of the PSUK Cup and ESFL, respectively.
Outside of these two primary competitions, NPFC – who are sponsored by both Northumbria Police Federation and the National Police Healthcare Scheme – also participate in fixtures against local amateur teams on a regular basis.
Charity
Since 2021, these matches have helped the club raise over £15,000 for charity.
“Winning the cup was amazing, especially with the final being at South Shields FC, but our fundraising is something we are just as proud about,” 45-year-old John added.
“There are a number of charities we have donated to, both local – like the Scott Bell Fund and the Bradley Lowery Foundation, and further afield – including Prostate Cancer UK and the Salvation Army.”
The ladies team
A particular affiliation with mental health charity Andy’s Man Club reflects the club’s ‘change of direction’, guided by John, towards a greater emphasis on men’s wellbeing.
Training, which is held twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, can now be attended by anyone within the Force, regardless of age, ability or fitness level.
“Sometimes, a chance to do something active and socialise outside of work is exactly what we need as police, so we are honoured to provide that for officers and staff.
“In our profession, it is easy to get weighed down by all the demands and pressure. We are very happy with how things are going on the pitch, but the club represents something even bigger than that – to remind people we are all in policing together and we are always there for each other.”
This season, the open-age team reached the knockout stage of the PSUK National Cup.
Football tournament
The tournament, of which John is an administrator as a part of his role on the PSUK committee, is split into an initial group phase followed by knockout matches and hosts 34 teams from forces across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
A total of 20 teams make up the veteran equivalent, with NPFC’s side still well in the mix in the knockouts currently.
And John says efforts are already underway to ensure NPFC men compete well on all four fronts in 2025/26, and you can follow all this progress on X and Instagram.
The club’s social media is also a great way to keep up to date with its women’s side – also sponsored by the Federation – who reached the ESFL knockouts this season and are gearing up for their own PSUK tournament in June, with next year’s edition set to be hosted by Northumbria Police.
New players
“For me, what’s encouraging is knowing the set-up I manage in the club might not win every competition – the level of competition is very high – but will always be competitive across the board,” John explained.
“We are always open to new players who can help us maintain and improve our current standards.
“However, as I’ve mentioned, what means even more to us is getting as many people down to training as possible, no matter how much experience you have playing football.
“You never know how much benefit you could get out of it.”
Any Federation members wanting more information on how to get involved can contact John on john.boddy@northumbria.police.uk or the Force’s sport and social club.
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