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Thursday, 14 September 2017 10:09

St Cadocs welcome Scotland hero to training

Written by YFS Editor 1

St Cadocs Youth Club had a special visitor on Tuesday night - Scotland legend James McFadden. The 800 strong Community Club were delighted that the former Motherwell and Everton star came along to take a training session for starry eyed 2006s. This came after the team's Eva Drummond had scooped the prize in a club raffle.

A St Cadocs' spokesperson said: "Nothing was too much trouble for James, happily posing for pictures, signing boots and chatting to the kids whose smiles said it all.

James joined in a game with the kids along with his own son. At time up he wanted to keep playing - and did!"

It was 10 years to the day since that famous goal in Paris and James reflected: "I loved playing for my country but like every kid I started at my local boys club team - West Park. I went to Hearts but left as I missed my Boys Club. I was so impressed tonight by the attitude of the kids. The weather was poor but their enthusiasm was there for all to see.

The coaches give up their time but you need that enthusiasm from the kids, it was brilliant to see. We agreed to just get them playing, running about and scoring goals . I loved it."

Asked about the facility at Eastwood High, James was full of praise. "My son plays on concrete at the moment and we need more of these 3G facilities. I was really impressed with the whole campus and the pitch itself. Credit to the council for supporting such a large community club.

"The fact there were 80 odd St Cadocs kids training on it and developing as potential players was brilliant to see.I 'm aware that Liam Lindsay (Barnsley FC) played with St Cadocs and he is going on to have a good career. I'm sure there will be many more as the years roll by."

St Cadocs 2006 Coach Paul O'Neill said: "We were very fortunate that James, who obviously has a great enthusiasm for the grass roots game in Scotland volunteered his services for this training session with our 2006 team. He had a natural way with the kids who revelled in being on the field with a Scottish football great. It just so happened to be on the anniversary of James stunning hit that won us the game against France... which the kids knew all about. Worth noting also that he stayed a lot longer than planned and was swamped by the kids coming to next training session."

"St Cadocs Youth Club thank James for giving up his time and wish him all the best at Queen of the South . He gained a lot of new fans tonight."

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Wednesday, 30 August 2017 10:13

Clydebank FC launch official youth academy

Written by Ryan Rowe

One of Scottish football’s most well-known clubs has launched an official youth academy for the first time in their history.

Clydebank FC, of the West Super League Premier Division in junior football, announced the revamped set up on Sunday 27 August which will see five different youth teams at separate age groups merge under the Clydebank FC Academy banner.

Club secretary Stuart Kelly said he feels the move is a step in the right direction for the club.

“It’s a real positive for the club and it shows what we’re all about. People know and respect the name, Clydebank FC, and it just felt like the right time to do this.

“They’ll benefit from the size and stature of the club, and the town, and it also better coordinates the process for players getting into our first team.”

Previously, teams from boys clubs in the nearby area had came to use the Clydebank FC crest and name, but still operated autonomously from the club itself. The main example is the current Under 19s squad pictured above which, before adopting the Clydebank FC signatures, was affiliated to Milngavie Wanderers.

Kelly said the streamlined structure would “get all these teams talking to each other and training with each other” and, with a new 3G pitch on the horizon it would provide the perfect place for young talent to grow.

“The new community stadium redevelopment means we’ll have a pitch open every day, all year, complete with floodlights. All boys clubs, girls teams, first team will have access to it and it will make for a real sense of home, bringing all our teams together under the same badge, the same strip and the same pitch, the same home.”

Kelly voiced the club’s hopes to attract more teams to the academy to build on the current five age groups, and also ambitions for a girls’ squad. Currently the West Dunbartonshire club has sides at Under 19s, Under 17s, both 11-a-side, and teams at the 2005 and 2007 age groups for 7-a-side and a 2010s team for 4v4s.

Kelly also revealed that the junior club’s first team manager, Kieran McAnespie, was a driving force behind the new academy.

“Kieran was very much for the idea, really in favour. It makes more sense for us to use our own than to go around looking for players from other clubs, and for the likes of our Under 19s, they get the benefit of playing and being around the first team.

“He also wants to get that sense of progression, not just with young guys going up but to like to get first team players coming down to work with 17s and 19s at a coaching level and, perhaps even more importantly, see first-hand what it takes to play for Clydebank and ask questions of the players, some of whom have played in senior leagues.

In addition to youth players occasionally training and/or playing with the first team, Kelly said the club plans to involve some of the younger players on matchdays by asking them to be ballboys or to help around the ground.

“We can attract around 300 to 500 fans on a good day and our Under 19s got the experience of that when they won the Scottish [Youth FA] Cup last year. Hundreds of Clydebank fans came to watch them in the final and cheer them on, and these people wouldn’t necessarily go to watch Under 19s football but they did because of Clydebank.”

Kelly emphasised the importance of the academy in relation to building on the club’s proud heritage. He said: “We of course were a senior club up until the 2000s until administration hit, and had legends like Davie Cooper turning out for us.

“The academy is the first step in realising the club’s ambitious plans to become the best in the area. And we’ll always look to progress the club to be the best it can be, whatever level of football that’s at.”

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Wednesday, 23 August 2017 13:50

Drumchapel United Club Photo Day

Written by YFS Editor 1

On Wednesday 30th August, the YFS team visited Drumchapel United for their Club Photo Day and all photos are online. If your photo is not there or you have any questions, please contact us by clicking here.

You now fall into three categories:

1. If you have not ordered your photos yet, you can now do so by clicking here.

2. If you ordered your photos on the night of Wednesday 30th August you have nothing to do at this point. Your photos will be available to collect between 6-6.45pm at the Donald Dewar Centre on Wednesday 6th September and any additional photos can be ordered and printed that evening. If you are unable to pick yours up, they will be left with the club to pick up at your convenience.

3. If you pre-ordered the discounted bundle, you must now select your photos. You can do so by clicking here, noting the numbers of your photos (the number which appears online, NOT the number from the stand on the night. On some devices you may have to hover over your photo for the number to appear) and filling out the form below. Your photos will be available to collect between 6-6.45pm at the Donald Dewar Centre on Wednesday 6th September and any additional photos can be ordered and printed that evening. If you are unable to pick yours up, they will be left with the club to pick up at your convenience.

Form guidance: You can choose any two photos (or the same one twice) as prints, one photo for a keyring and one photo for a magnet. Please include the age group and photo number in each box.

E.G. '2006 photo 5' or '2002 photo 35 x 2'

{rsform 96}

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Thursday, 17 August 2017 22:59

Renton Craigandro club photo day: Order your photos now

Written by YFS Editor 1

On Monday 21st August, the YFS team visited Renton Craigandro for their Club Photo Day. Team, individual and special request photos were taken across all age groups. The photos can be found by clicking here.

On Monday 28th August between 6-7pm, YFS will return to the club and deliver all of the photos ordered. Whilst the pre-order special offer has now passed, you still have the opportunity to make a saving against regular prices. All photo prints (8x6 with boarded frame), keyrings and fridge magnets will be available for £7 until that evening. Afterwards, regular pricing will apply.

If you pre-ordered a bundle and did not specify your photo numbers on the night, click here to use the YFS contact form and let us know.

We strongly recommend that you order your photos ahead of the evening using the form below. All orders made in advance will be ready to pick up. We will accept orders made on the night, but there is likely to be a waiting period.

When ordering, please use the photo numbers on the website and NOT the photo numbers displayed on Monday evening.

Photo order form:

Example of what to enter in the 'item and photo numbers' box:

Frame - 2006 Pic 5 (x2), Keyring - 2006 Pic 10, Magnet - 2006 Pic 7.

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Friday, 28 July 2017 10:34

Irvine Meadow pay fitting tribute to lost hometown hero

Written by Ryan Rowe

Irvine Meadow 2006s have taken it upon themselves to donate surplus funds from a bag packing event to charity close to home.

The team's players made the decision to give £200 to the Kieran Mess Foundation, a charity in honour of a young Irvine boy who lost his fight with a brain tumour in 2006, aged just ten.

Coach Paul Kellington gave all the credit to his players for their kind initiative. "This is a fantastic gesture from a youth football team and we are so proud of the boys. It was all their idea."

The relationship with the Kieran Mess Foundation started through one of the team's players, Aaron, who is close with the family. The charity agreed to be the home strip sponsor for Irvine Meadow 2006 last season, and Kellington said "They've been brilliant with us. We've tried to work alongside them to raise the profile of the problem as best we can, and they do it as best they can."

Kieran Mess fought with the effects of his brain tumour for seven years before he could give no more. Kellington said the fact his boy is now the same age made it hit home for him.

You can learn more about the Kieran Mess Foundation here: http://www.thekieranmessfoundation.org/

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Tuesday, 04 July 2017 20:08

Southside Stars U13s clinch ERSDA title

Written by Ben Banks

Southside stars U13s remarkably collected the ERSDA trophy in only their first season in existence. The stars didn’t even concede defeat during their league campaign and we got the chance to chat to boss Tommy Steele to find out about their season in more detail.

The Stars won everything in front of them in their first year as a team and Tommy said this about how proud he was of his team “This was our first season as a club. We only founded a year and a half ago so I couldn’t have even imagined winning the league. I was just going to be happy with the top 4 as that was our aim before the season so to win the league and the domestic cup is unbelievable”

When asked about his favourite moment of his sides 16/17 campaign he said “It wasn’t even winning the league or the cup, it was that we were in a tournament there, with all the top teams in Paisley and we won the tournament. So for me, I got more satisfaction out of that as we were playing the top teams. The league was exciting as we had to play Palace Park in the final game so it was a bit nerve wracking but it was good when the boys actually won it to see them enjoy themselves”

Southside Stars had many highs throughout the seasons but still endured challenges. When asked about his biggest challenge, Steele said this about his biggest obstacle. “It was trying to get the new boys embedded into the team. Because it was the first season and trying to find out what position suited each person. But apart from that it went smoothly with no major problems”

To nail down what the reason for success was for a season can be tricky but Tommy said this, “I just feel like the boys worked well together. I done all of the secretary stuff all the organising. The 3 coaches also Phillip, Kev, Robert Mulan and David Fraser. David is the young coach he is learning from the others so they all worked well together. Between us all, we all played our roles well. which made it easier."

After debuting with perfect season Tommy still has high aspirations for the next season. “We have moved up to a harder league to the Paisley District League which is more teams round our level with one of the teams, St Peters winning the Scottish cup and finishing high in their league. The plan is to test ourselves in that league with a few new boys. We are also starting a new team, taking one team to the district league and leaving the other in the ERSDA league”

Tommy made some final comments about his team “It is good now we have a development set up as the boys can have a season to develop to try and work their way up to the district league which is going to be a higher standard. There was no better feeling however than seeing the boys lifting the trophy and just enjoying themselves”

Congratulations to Southside Stars and all the best to the two teams in their upcoming seasons.

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Saturday, 24 June 2017 21:50

Milngavie FC festival a 'phenomenal' success

Written by Ryan Rowe

Milngavie FC invited a former professional footballer, SFA representatives and Miss Scotland to join in the fun in their first ever football festival.

The event, which took place at the West of Scotland Rugby Club, had inflatables and an outdoor disco providing the off-field entertainment to go with a special SFA Showcase for the football side. A VIP tent welcomed former Motherwell star and St Johnstone, Burnley and Blackburn Rovers manager, Owen Coyle, along with local councillors and event sponsors.

The festival ran for the first time last year as a schools-only event, and this year the club decided to increase the size and scale to mark the return of Milngavie Week, with the newly-formed Community Trust asking the football club to put on an event for nearby teams. Secretary Caroline Diaz and the rest of the committee at the club took up the mantle and for this year faced an ever bigger challenge with providing something bigger and better.

Ms Diaz called the event a ‘phenomenal success’, and points to the evidence of 65 teams participating and 800 medals being dished out on the day – by none other than Miss Scotland – and the weather being kind to boot.

The teams taking part included boys and girls, and an over-50s group playing walking football. There was also a disability group, and Ms Diaz paid particular tribute to Mr Coyle’s affable engagement with them.

Describing the event as a whole, she said: ‘To be honest, the amount of hard work the team put in, some of us working for over ten hours, just makes it even more of a massive satisfaction.

‘It was phenomenal and a huge thank you has to go to all the coaches, parents, committee and volunteers. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to run the activities, or have baking on sale – and enough staff to keep working the bar which got drank dry!’

Next season marks the club’s thirtieth anniversary and Ms Diaz joked that they will need to up their ante once again come Milngavie Week to top this year’s festival’s success.

Ryan Rowe

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Tuesday, 20 June 2017 11:43

Watch: Glasgow Schools FA - 2016/17 roundup

Written by YFS Editor 1

It has been a season to remember for the Glasgow Schools FA (GSFA). League and cup finals galore, Scottish Shield success and topped off with the inaugural Lisbon Lions Tournament. Thanks to sponsors Trans World Educational Experiences, here's a 2016/17 roundup video...

Trans World Soccer is proud to be the headline sponsor of the GSFA. For every GSFA school that travels on a Football Development Tour to any of their world class destinations, Trans World donates £100 to the GSFA development fund. For more information please visit www.twedex.com

Congratulations to the league champions: Holyrood Secondary U13s, St Peter the Apostle U14s, St Peter the Apostle U15s, Holyrood Secondary U16s and Lourdes Secondary Seniors.

Congratulations to the cup winners: Lourdes Secondary U13s, Holyrood Secondary U14s, St Peter the Apostle U15s, Knightswood Secondary U16s, Bishopbriggs Academy Seniors and St Mungo's Academy (James Crawford Cup).

Last but certainly not least, a huge congratulations to Lourdes Secondary U13s (pictured, top of page), who were crowned Scottish Schools FA Shield winners.

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Monday, 05 June 2017 20:40

St Cadocs host successful gala day at Whitecraigs Rugby Club

Written by David Walton

Whitecraigs Rugby Club held the annual St Cadocs Gala Day on Sunday, June 4^th, in another extremely successful event for the youth club.

The event came just one day after the under-19s won the West of Scotland Cup for the club, coming back from 2-0 down to defeat Rutherglen Glencairn 4-2.

Thousands of people flocked in to the rugby club to take part in a variety of activities that were on show – including bubble football, crash courses, police and fire engine demonstrations, and beat the goalie.

An array of stalls selling a variety of goods were also on show, as well as a BBQ to keep the energy levels up on what was a beautiful day at Newton Mearns.

It was a fantastic day for all age levels, and it gave youngsters at every age group the chance to mingle with each other and keep in contact.

We spoke to organiser Liam O’Donnell, who was overwhelmed by the response of yet another successful gala day.

“The response has just been fabulous. It’s a real community event and I’m delighted to see so many people turning out.

“The weather’s been fabulous which has helped us a lot.

“The day was about bringing the whole club together and it was great yesterday that our under-19s won the West of Scotland Cup. That was great for the club, and we’re going to keep coming on leaps and bounds.

“The kids all love it, and it’s important to make them feel as though they belong here. That’s the main thing.”

Co-organiser Jane O’Neill praised the community spirit around the event, highlighting one particular award that showed the unity in the squads.

“A lot of work has been put into this, but the youth club is a real community and many, many people have helped us. So it’s great to welcome new faces to the club and for them to help out.

“One of our awards is Players’ Player of the Year and it’s lovely to see the players vote for their team-mates. It’s a real team effort here.”

The club invited YFS along to sample the gala, but also there to help with the presentations were Celtic’s Stuart Armstrong and Clyde 1’s Gavin Pearson.

We tried to get a comment from the Celtic midfielder about his thoughts on St Cadoc’s and youth football in general, but time constraints dictated otherwise.

2010s coach Matt Rumins welcomed the addition of Armstrong, and stressed how excited the boys were to meet the Scotland star.

“All of our boys came last year and had a fantastic time, and they kept asking us when it was coming back this year.

“Seeing a professional player come – the boys love to see that and to get a picture with him. They’ve seen him score some great goals for Celtic and play for Scotland so they’re all very keen and excited.

“It’s great for the coaches as well to see each other and speak to the boys at other age levels.”

The players at all age levels enjoyed themselves immensely and used it as an opportunity to build team morale.

Different age groups played in bounce games against each other throughout the day, with a lot of talent on show from this exciting youth club.

One of the players we spoke to, Matt McNichol of the 2001s, said that all the players look forward to the day and he would encourage other youth clubs to do the same.

“It’s a good opportunity to hang around with your friends. Obviously with the awards and the different stalls being up – it’s just a nice day for everyone.

“It’s important to have that recognition, but mainly it’s just a nice thing to have. It’s great for the team.

“It’s a great thing to build up to at the end of our season, and I would definitely encourage other youth clubs to do the same.”

The 2001s coach who led his side to a league and cup double this season, Dom Callan, believes the event makes the players understand the size of what they’re part of.

“I think they all look forward to it. It’s a great opportunity not just for them to get together as a team, but for the whole club to get together – then they can realise what they’re part of.

“It’s not just 18 boys, it’s around 800 kids we have at St Cadocs.

“We very much encourage the team and it’s great that the players get to vote for who they think has influenced their team the most.”

The event also included a prize-filled raffle, including an overnight stay at the Grand Central Hotel, 5 full hospitality tickets for Celtic Park for a league match next season, and two away tickets in the Celtic end for any away game next season including Ibrox or European games.

It was a very enjoyable event for everyone and is a real sign of just how big St Cadocs are.

The visitors all enjoyed their day, but the main thing was the enjoyment shown by the players and the staff of St Cadocs.

For now the stalls will come down and each group will start to prepare for the new season, but many can’t wait for the gala day to come round again next year.

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Thursday, 04 May 2017 16:32

Interview: Rory McInnes, Clydebank FC

Written by Gillen Reid

Every now and again grassroots football throws up a truly inspirational story. Clydebank FC Under 19s are currently enjoying the season of their lives as they prepare for their first ever Scottish Cup final, along with opportunities to win numerous other local honours. However, behind the scenes one player has been quietly going about his business. He's played for the same club his whole life and when dealt a career threatening injury blow, he decided to coach the youngsters at the club, until he was ready to bounce back nearly two years later. Gillen Reid caught up with him to find out more...

Can you introduce yourself?

I'm Rory McInnes, I'm 18 years old. I've just finished my final year at Clydebank High School and I am hoping to go to university to study sports development. I play for Clydebank FC and been coaching the 2010's age group with some of my teammates. I've had an injury that has kept me out of the game for the last two years.

How did you end up at the club?

I joined a local football team Antonine when I was 6 or 7 years old but whilst there I played for the team that my current coach, Scott Carson, set up to get me and his son and my friend Jack more playing time. At the time we were considered the second team but we eventually became better than them and beat them. After Antonine we moved to Kilpatrick where we continued to play under Scott and a few other coaches, most notably Paul Mooney. It was then onto Milngavie Wanderers where I enjoyed my best football under Scott and Paul who were subsequently joined by Brian Carmichael. He encouraged me to believe in myself as I hadn't been playing to my potential. After Milngavie Wanderers, me and a few other of the long serving players were asked about the potential of playing under the junior side Clydebank FC. With the history of the Senior side it was a fantastic opportunity and we're now two years at our new club.

What is it that keeps you loyal?

There's no other team that could offer me what the coaches and my teammates given me at Clydebank. My coaches have shown a lot of loyalty to me so I feel as though I should repay them with my commitment. There's been times were I thought I maybe should leave but after a long hard think I realised although there's been hard times the good times have always followed. The coaches have always been able to bring in good players and trophy cabinet has enjoyed plenty of additions as a result.

What was the injury?

At first the injury wasn't diagnosed so I was trying to continue to play but every time I would try to play the pain would come back. Eventually I was sent for scans and the doctors discovered that it was a hairline fracture that spread across the lower vertebrae in my back. I was told that I wasn't to kick a ball for around a year until it healed. Eventually it healed in November of 2016 and with a lot of help from the physios, especially Scott Macauley, who really helped me focus on getting back to fitness.

How glad are you to be back?

I'm extremely glad to be back playing again, it's made me appreciate playing and that there is more to life than just football. Hopefully I'll be able to put the injury behind me and kick on and hopefully do something in my football career.

A big thanks to Rory for taking some time out to chat to us today.

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Thursday, 27 April 2017 14:13

Lennoxtown begin campaign for brand new facilities

Written by Scott Kilgallon

Mention Lennoxtown to the average Scottish football enthusiast and most will think of the swish state of the art training facility there owned by Scottish Champions, Celtic. The highly paid players who train at the facility are lucky indeed for not only do they have first class training facilities; their complex sits at the foot of the picturesque Campsie Fells to the north of Glasgow. Lennoxtown though is more than just the home of a professional football side’s training complex, it is a growing community of around 4000 people and many of the youngsters growing up there are football mad.

There are currently around 200 children and young people attached to the local Campsie Football Club. These range from children of Primary one age through to those playing at Under 21 level. There are also senior amateur teams playing in the area and all of these footballers have to compete for the use of three worn and overplayed grass pitches. The lack of decent changing facilities and the poor state of the playing surface of the pitches is a great hindrance to developing the players of the future in the Lennoxtown area. The winter rain coupled with poor drainage and maintenance of the pitches leads to many fixture cancellations which in turn causes a backlog of fixtures. As the weather improves teams naturally want to take advantage of the lighter nights to play their games and the pitches are totally overplayed. This vicious circle suits no one.

As well as encouraging local youth clubs which foster involvement in the game at all levels, developing and supporting grassroots football is an important part of the SFA’s strategy to rejuvenise the game in Scotland. Participation at grass roots level is vital to help produce more quality footballers and give youngsters the experience of participating in sport at an important time in their lives. It also helps the rising generation of young Scots forge healthier lifestyles for themselves at a time when childhood obesity is at record levels. The Scottish Football Association has long championed the development of modern and appropriate facilities where grass roots footballers can hone their skills and fitness levels. Indeed the game’s governing body could have had Lennoxtown in mind when it pointed out in their recent publication ‘The Big Pitch,’ that, ‘A significant percentage of existing changing pavilions are in poor condition, with many of them also too small for today’s larger playing squads and the increase in participation. They are also very often isolated and so, unfortunately, vandalised. Climate change is also a crucial factor with Scotland experiencing warmer but wetter winters and more ‘extreme weather events’. Unfortunately this means grass pitches are unplayable more often and for longer.’

It seems obvious that the high levels of participation in football in Lennoxtown mean that the town is deserving of a modern, all weather football facility. There are currently 12 teams ranging from infants to under-21s playing in the town and competing for time and space to play. A modern, purpose built facility would greatly ease the problem of cancelled games and give all the teams in the local area the standard of playing facility which would benefit everyone. Indeed such a facility would be an asset to the wider local community as schools, clubs and other groups could use the facility for a variety of sporting activities. There are 2 schools in the local area which could also benefit from the addition of a 3G pitch.

East Dunbartonshire Council are currently refusing to acknowledge the problem, citing all weather facilities in Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch as possible venues for Lennoxtown sides to use. However, these facilities are often booked out by local sides from the two towns concerned and the problem of accessing them is compounded by travel issues for teams from Lennoxtown.

In the face of the Council’s intransigence a local man started a petition to ask the East Dunbartonshire Council to reconsider their decision. More than 600 people signed the petition in its first few days and the comments they leave about the value good facilities bring to a community are very convincing. Coaches write of the difficulty finding a decent pitch to play on, especially in winter. Parents write of the frustration their children feel at cancelled games and inadequate facilities. Some are concerned their children could be lost to the game if this situation continues.

The ball is firmly in East Dunbartonshire Council’s court; will they play ball or turn their backs on Lennoxtown’s deserving generation of young players. Only the future will answer that question but the Council themselves are committed to supporting the recreation, health and fitness of the population they administer and will surely see the wisdom of giving Lennoxtown the sort of all-weather facility the town and its aspiring footballers deserve?

Find the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/east-dunbartonshire-council-give-lennoxtown-the-all-weather-football-park-it-needs

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Thursday, 27 April 2017 13:54

The success story of Giffnock Reds in the PJ&DYFL second Division

Written by Scott Kilgallon

Giffnock Reds were, to their surprise, placed in the 1st division of the PJ&DYFL 2 seasons ago. Unfortunately, last season didn't go as well as this season and they finished with only 3 league wins and were relegated. To their joy, this season was nothing but a success story and we caught up with Alan Clarke, the team secretary to find out what went right.

Being knocked down to the second division was a fall from grace and brought the team back down to Earth, and this season they had something to prove. Alan said, "Coming into this season in division 2 meant we didn't really know what to expect. While we won our first couple of games against the two Rossvale teams, there was nothing in it, so we knew it was going to be a tough season. We certainly didn't expect that with 2 league games left we would be undefeated." Having such a competetive season but staying undefeated must have been a delight for the boys but also a lot of hard work. Knowing that the competition was tough meant that they couldn't slack off for one game. Every game had to be treated with the same amount of hard work and dedication.

Alan was tasked with the difficult job of picking a favourite moment of the season, he commented, "I'm not sure I can pick a single moment but if I had to pick one, bizzarely it would be in only one of the two games we lost." Giffnock had a good run at the West Region Cup and Alan's stand out moment came against the team that would go all the way to win it, Park Villa, who were also a strong team in the first division. "At half time I think it would have been hard to pick which team was a top performer in the first division, and which team was in the second division. Park Villa weren't poor, far from it, but it showed us what our boys were capable of and what we, as coaches, can expect from our squad." A strong performance against a division 1 team fired up the coaches and players into realising their potential and gave them an ambition to be where they think they should be, division 1.

Being undefeated in the league makes them a target for every other team, everyone will want to be the team that beats the unbeatable. Alan said "Our biggest challenge has yet to come, two more league wins will give us the undefeated season." The final game of the season for Giffnock is against the team that could well finish second, so that could be a must-watch game. Unfortunately, Giffnock were beat in their 2nd last game, so the undefeated season is no longer achieveable.

Being able to finish undefeated in the league is a huge accomplishment and Alan put a lot of the success down to, Martin Jack, the coach. Alan commented, "Martin Jack - Jacky to us all - joined us at Christmas last season. His dedication to coaching football is a complete inspiration to everyone who interacts with him. Without him, i'm not sure there would be a Giffnock Reds 2002 anymore, and under some of his guidance some of our players have come on leaps and bounds." A good coach motivates, teaches and leads the players and Martin sounds like he's done a great job at keeping the players on their toes and helping them towards winning the league.

Now that they've won the league, Alan has goals and aspirations for his squad. He said "It might sound cliché but it's all about development - not just winning trophies. My passion is to see the boys in ten years time playing at a good level of amateur football, and to do that they need to learn how to be good footballers. Under Martin's leadership - and not to forget Alan Dobson who has been an invaluable partner to Jacky on the training field, in the dressing room and at matches - I am sure the boys can move on to another level." Alan has high hopes for the boys and this league win is a great start for a future in football for the Giffnock Reds squad.

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Thursday, 20 April 2017 16:11

Interview: Roger Domingo-Roca

Written by Gillen Reid

So, if you could introduce yourself to our wonderful audience?

My name is Roger Domingo-Roca and I have been staying in Glasgow for almost three years now. I came to Scotland due to work commitments and started coaching a girls’ team a week after landing. I have experience playing and coaching at CE Sabadell back in Barcelona and it was something I did not want to lose when I moved to Scotland. In my last years at the club I was very lucky to work with very knowledgeable people who I learnt a lot from. Conversations with them not only about the game but also about the growing up process of the player which helped me to start developing my own methodology, as well as understanding how to plan all the aspects of the game from young ages up to senior football for both genders.

Coaching is something of interest in YFS, tell us more.

My first role as head coach was when I was 19, which involved developing all the planning during the week and developing the training sessions which included other management roles, as in Spain all this logistical aspect works a bit different than here in Scotland. As years went by and my experience increased I developed my own way of coaching. I have not invented anything, but I learnt and took advantage from past lessons from every coach I had and I tried to apply all these concepts on my planning, periodization, and coaching sessions. For instance, I like to plan what kind of relationships I want the team to develop between different lines (which we call sectorial, intersectorial, or complete structure) and where I want to focus the coaching points on (player, players, or team). All this combined with the adequate tactical objective of the game gives a very rich output. Sometimes it’s better not to give a lot of information to the players, as too much information can create the opposite effect on them. This methodology is possible to apply at all the different age groups doing the adequate changes.

So, what was it that originally inspired you to become a coach?

I had my first coaching proposal when I was 15 years old and I was having a bad time as a player since I was not having as much game time as I expected, but at that time I wanted to play. It was then when I injured my left knee in a training session and after a year of hard work to come back to the pitch I had the same bad injury on my right knee, so I decided to do some coaching during the recovery time as well as taking my first football badges. All this combined with my rehabilitation plan and the few training sessions I could attend. After that I spent a couple of years combining both coaching and playing, but when I was 19 and preseason started, I realised about the reality of defending the colours of a big team and I decided to quit and to keep my focus on coaching, as well as having a better and broader formation not only coaching wise but also in terms of physiology, physical preparation, and the role of Head of Youth.

Using this knowledge base how do you feel footballers in Scotland respond to your methods in comparison to the more traditional SFA approach?

Well, to be fair I am not the most appropriate person to say if my methods work better or worse than others, but my feeling is that when I applied it at its maximum exponent in a 15s team the girls responded very well. The only thing I always try to do is to use a ball. I understand sometimes the players need an exhaustive physical preparation plan, but from my point of view carrying a ball makes it easier for them, even if it’s just adding a small header or a one-two with the coach in a circuit. At the start, I think it was a bit difficult for the players to get used to different concepts, different points of view and different approaches. And in this case, I was not only trying to convince the players but also other coaches who were working with me, as they had never worked with this kind of methodology and terminology so everything was new for them as well. It was a very good challenge for me and my opportunity to show myself that this approach could work in a different environment that the one I was used to in Spain. At the end of the season it was nice to have a very positive feedback from the players, the parents and other people involved within the club.

What would you consider the most positive thing about the girls’ game in Scotland?

If we speak at a senior level I think the competition is growing faster than we could all have expected a couple of years ago. Not only at the SWPL1 where teams are investing a lot to be able to beat City after 10 years of dominancy, but also the SWPL2 and the SWFL1 are more and more competitive every year. Some people might think that in the SWFL1 or in the SWPL2 teams are not good enough, but reality is that during the last years all teams struggle to beat each other in this category, both in the south and north region (when referring to the SWFL1). The best example to realise that the domestic competition is increasing its level is Scotland’s National team achieving the final stage of the EURO2017. I think this exponential increase of the quality of the game and development of the teams in such a small frame of time is incredible, and we all must keep working to make the girls’ game better in Scotland.

From an academy point of view, I think that one of the positives is that every time more and more girls get started to football. I remember coaching players who started their football adventure when they were 15 or 17 years old. Now it seems that girls chose football as their main sport at an earlier age, what makes it great for the evolution of the game from all the points of view, but mainly from the players’ development perspective. Hopefully this tendency will remain consistent over the upcoming years.

The biggest thing that could perhaps do with the most amount of work?

I think one of the big things to work on is the general unwillingness to learn and change what has been established for a long time. The game is evolving very quick in Scotland and this means that the organisations and the clubs must be in constant change, readapting their approach to the women’s game constantly. It would be good to readapt and review all the methodological build up at least once every two or three years.

I also think that a better communication is needed. I will give you an example: we have players that do physical tests with us during the week, they play a game on Sunday, then they go away with the National team (what implies traveling and all its consequences in terms of fatigue) they do physical tests with the National team, then they play 2 games in 4 days. Then they travel back and have more games with the club. This results in a massive minutes’ overload on the players caused because of a lack of communication between the different coaches. The questions to be asked is why do they have to repeat the physical tests 4/5 days later? In this situation the players are the ones who have more to lose as their injury risk massively increases due to a bad rest-to-work ratio. I think it would be better for the players if we kept all the data from the physical tests they do at their corresponding clubs, so the coaches can send this information to the National team’s coach. Thus, they could develop better individual plans for the players’ physical preparation based on objective data coming from the clubs, where the players spend most of their time.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans for the future are to keep enjoying this wonderful game at 100%. At the moment I would like to focus on a new project I started not long ago with one of my best friends, Daniel Blasco, called Sonrisa de Gol (smile goal in Spanish) which involves an in depth description of the methodology, some sessions, and a blog that talks about different sports. By now it seems that everything is moving in the right direction and some news will come out soon if all goes as planned.

Thanks again to Roger for taking his time to talk to us today.

Published in West Region

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Thursday, 23 March 2017 17:35

Glasgow Boys charity fundraiser for Revive MS

Written by Scott Kilgallon

Glasgow Boys FC 2005 are raising money and awareness for Revive MS. This charity helps to support everyone affected by Multiple Sclerosis (MS) all across the West of Scotland. We caught up with Michael McKenna, the head coach to find out more about this fundraising.

Michael said “Not only does this bring awareness to an excellent cause it also helps the boys to learn about something outside of football” This attitude is helping the boys to realise the importance of helping out in the community by fundraising for a charity that is focused on helping people close to them. Rather than approaching the main charities, Michael decided to link up with Revive MS as he a has a close, personal link to this charity. This makes the fundraising for Michael and his team more important. Cara Thom, the fundraising manager for Revive MS was more than happy to link up with Glasgow Boys in order to maximise their reach and fundraising opportunities.

Michael and his team have decided to donate 10% of all future fundraising events, making a monthly donation to their Club500. Michael and other coaches are participating in Revive MS’s own sponsored events such as the 10k and ‘Zip Slide Across the Clyde.’ All of the money raised from these events will go directly to Revive MS.

Michael commented “As I mentioned earlier I feel it is important for the boys to learn about others struggles in life.” This is an attitude that is great at a football coach can teach you more than just football, they can be an important, respected figure in a player’s life. “Cara has invited us all over to their new centre in Govan on April 1st so they can not only learn about MS but see what services this amazing charity has to offer.”

This is an amazing gesture from Michael and Glasgow Boys FC and we hope that they are successful in their fundraising.

Published in West Region

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