2005 was a banner year for Football New Brunswick. 2,141 players, coaches and  officials were registered. This represents growth of 22% over the 1,756 registered in 2004. (Numbers for 2003-1,840 and 2002-1,708)  This does not include the 700 participants in high school football who are not members of Football New Brunswick but still rely on FNB to certify their coaches and train their officials.

                The Capital Area Minor Football Association (Fredericton) operates an eight team Squirt Flag Football League for youngsters aged 7-9 up from six teams in 2004. Capital Area Minor also runs a six team Mosquito Tackle Football League for 9-11 year olds. In 2005 Moncton had an Atom Tackle Football League for players aged 7-10. Also in 2005 Fundy Minor (Saint John) started an Atom Flag Football League for youth ages 7-10.
                 Capital Area Minor (5 teams), Fundy Minor (6 teams) and Moncton Football (7 teams) all operate PeeWee Tackle Football Programs for  youth aged 13 & Under. Capital Area started the Devon Wildcats in 2005 and Moncton revived the Dieppe Alouettes after an absence of one year. The Riverview Lions won the New Brunswick Championship and the Bob Pierce Memorial Trophy with an 8-2 win over the Albert Street Eagles of Fredericton. The Lions fell 24-6 to the Halifax Raiders in the Maritime Championship game played at Huskies Stadium at Saint Mary's University in Halifax.
                Capital Area Minor (3 teams), Fundy Minor (7 teams) and Moncton Football (7 teams) all operate Bantam Tackle Football Programs for youth aged 14 and 15. Fundy added the St. Stephen-Calais Silverados in 2005. The Moncton Junior Highlanders won the provincial championship and the Samuel Babb Bowl with an exciting 8-6 victory over the Hampton Junior Huskies. The Huskies represented New Brunswick in the Maritime Bantam Championship game played at Huskies Stadium at Saint Mary's University in Halifax. Hampton defeated the Truro Freightliners 27-6 to claim the Ed Edmonds Cup, newly named in honour of long time football official and volunteer Ed Edmonds of Moncton.  
                 Capital Area Minor and Fundy Minor operated 13 & Under, 15 & Under and 17 & Under programs in the spring of 2005. Moncton Football Association ran three team leagues for Bantam (ages 12-14) and 
Midget (ages 15-17). 
                   In 2005, it's fifth season of existence, the New Brunswick Senior Football League joined the Maritime Football League and changed its name to the New Brunswick Football Conference. With the addition of the Riverview Mustangs and the "SJ" Seadogs the NBFC grew to a record six teams. The Saint John Wanderers won the the NBFC championship and the G. Percy Burchill Trophy with an exciting last minute 34-31 victory over the Riverview Mustangs. The Wanderers went on to win the MFL championship in Maritime Bowl IV by a count of 28-18 over the Dartmouth Knights and thus laid claim to the McIntyre Cup for the second time in three years..
                  2005 was the second year for the New Brunswick Women's Football League. The league grew from two to three teams with the formation of the Moncton Vipers. The Saint John Buccaneers upset the Vipers 24-14 in the league championship game to win the Judy Upward Trophy. 
                  Football New Brunswick provided support to its members programs in a number of ways. In the area of Awards, championship Banners and gold and silver Medals were supplied to PeeWee, Bantam and Women's. A championship banner was also provided for the NBFC. Championship Banners and gold and silver Medals were also supplied, courtesy of Riddell, for the Maritime PeeWee and Bantam Championship games. Fair Play banners (sponsored by Adams) were given to one team in each of PeeWee (Nashwaaksis Nordics), Bantam (Saint John Central Outlaw Greyhounds) and High School (Odyssee Olympiens). Football N.B. also paid for officials for the provincial PeeWee and Bantam semi-final and championship games as well as providing travel subsidies to the teams traveling to Halifax for the Maritime PeeWee and Bantam Championship games. Total cost of these programs was $6,250.   
                  Football New Brunswick Bursaries were awarded to graduating high school football players Tom Lutes of Riverview High and Mike McCarthy of Leo Hayes High. Total cost to Football New Brunswick is $600. 
                  In Coaching Development  Capital Area held a Level 1 NCCP clinic. Football New Brunswick paid the registration costs of coaches attending the Boston Football Coaches Clinic. Each of the three minor football associations received a direct contribution to help offset the cost of hosting clinics. Football N.B. contributed $4,000 to Coaching Development in 2005.
                   New Brunswick's football officials held Level 1 clinics in Moncton and Saint John. Football New Brunswick contributed $900 towards Officials Development in 2005.
                   Football New Brunswick spent close to $19,000 on liability and accident Insurance for its members in 2005 as well as spending $5,000 on memberships in Football Canada and Sport New Brunswick.
                   No organization can operate without its volunteers. Some sort of recognition of their efforts is key to its long term success. Football New Brunswick held its Annual Awards banquet in April 2005 in Moncton. Lifetime Service Awards were given to Norm and Cathy Seguin of Fredericton, John Cowan of Moncton and Gillies Lavoie and Brenda Teed of Moncton. Chris Ives of St. Stephen was chosen as PeeWee Volunteer of the Year. Mike Young of Fredericton was selected as Bantam Volunteer of the Year. Michele Madore of Oromocto won the Gridiron Award for Outstanding Service to Football. Net cost of this event was $2,500. 
                  Football N.B. spent $250 on it's 7th Annual Pass, Punt and Kick Competition at Mount Allison University in Sackville.    

                    For 2006  a number of initiatives are underway to increase participation levels. Moncton Football has plans for a Bantam team at Odyssee , the new French high school that opened in Moncton in the fall of 2005. As well efforts are underway to organize minor football in Amherst, Nova Scotia. Capital Area Minor is attempting to start Bantam team(s) in Miramichi and/or Woodstock.  Capital Area is also hoping to add a PeeWee team affiliated with Ridgeview Middle School in Oromocto. Fundy Minor Football is targeting Sussex for expansion in 2006. Football New Brunswick has allocated $5,000 to assist with expansion of the game into areas of the province where it is presently not played.
                    Efforts are underway to organize province wide Spring Developmental Football Leagues in the 
17 & Under, 15 & Under and 13 & Under age categories. It is hoped that the creation of these leagues will lead to establishment of Provincial Teams with significant representation from all areas of the province that will compete in regional and national competitions in the future.
                      It is expected that the New Brunswick Women's Football League will expand to four teams in 2006. A group from Halifax has applied to join the league which, if this happens, will become known as the Maritime Women's Football League.
                  A clinic to certify  Level 1 Football Technical Course Conductors for each area of the province will be held in Moncton in the spring. Football New Brunswick will cover the cost of this clinic. This will be a huge step forward for coaching development as there will soon be at least one certified Course Conductor in each of Moncton, Fundy and Capital Area. Previously there was only one, located in Moncton, for the entire province.            
                      There will be Level 1 Tackle Football Officials Clinics in Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John before the 2006 season. The New Brunswick Football Officials Association will be holding Level 2, 3 and 4 upgrade clinics in June 2006 in Moncton.
                      Finally, Football New Brunswick is in the process of developing a number of policies. An 
"Abuse and Harassment Policy" and a "Volunteer Screening Policy" have been developed and adopted. For 2006 committees will be formed to develop policies on "Conflict of Interest", "Discipline and Appeals", "Personal Information Protection" and "Code of Conduct".  

Dan Fearon, President
Football New Brunswick
March 1, 2006