ST PETER Football Club have become the latest Jersey club to gain the prestigious FA Charter Standard Community Club award.

The Saints join near neighbours Jersey Wanderers FC to be among around 270 clubs recognised by the Football Association as being at the pinnacle of the Charter Standard Club programme.

Jersey Football Association football development officer Brian Oliver said: ‘Clubs have to run ten teams to attain the award and their qualified coaches must also have completed child protection and first aid courses.

‘St Peter have done a tremendous amount of work and they are to be congratulated in achieving this prestigious national award.

‘A pathway is now in place for children from the ages of seven and eight to play right through to over-40s for St Peter and that’s fantastic.

‘They join a small band of clubs with Community Club status, there are now around 270 who have reached the mark from around 40,000 clubs in the country.’ JFA president Charlie Tostevin said: ‘Any club that gains this prestigious award should be very proud.

The amount of work put it is enormous and for them to have that amount of volunteers is superb.

‘At the beginning when the FA first brought this in the JFA asked for dispensation because we thought it was not possible.

We have been proved wrong; it’s simply amazing what is happening and it’s all down to the hard work of the clubs.’