Grassroots Football News
COMMUNITIES EMBRACE NEW CLUB DEVELOPMENT PLANS
At Newry City FC, the ‘bridge’ of South Down and South Armagh, there was a link emerging in other ways that could inform the future of Grassroots Development of football.
A series of six unique workshops created as a result of an increasing number of football clubs who seek assistance in managing their affairs both on and off the field of play.
The workshops are adapted from Rural Community Network’s Training for Trainers course. Gareth Harper, Programmes Manager with Rural Community Network, explained ‘At the core of Rural Community Networks’s work is a commitment to building and supporting community development practice across rural Northern Ireland.’ Gareth continued ‘It is great to see the course materials and skills gained through participation on RCN’s Rural Community Development Training for Trainers Course being developed, adapted and used to support grass roots development work through this football focus.’
Over the past 18 months the Newry and Mourne Grassroots Development Centre has engaged with eight clubs ranging from the Irish Premier League to the Local Youth League, in a sustained effort to plan, action and review the clubs’ performances in terms of administration, coach and player development and most importantly, community outreach events.
The blend of increasingly popular Club Development guidelines and a respected and established Community Development Tutors programme has brought us to what will be, quite possibly, the future of Grassroots Development where our ‘Grassroots clubs’ are in a position to attain the ambitions that their community desires.
Ten participants from nine Clubs embarked on the series of workshops. They represented all levels of local football, from Valley Rangers in Kilkeel, Warrenpoint Town and Newry City FC to Rathfriland Juniors, Camlough Rovers and Tulleyvallen in Armagh.
Attending the launch, from the Irish FA, was IFA President Raymond Kennedy who addressed the members of the workshops and said, “ These workshops can move Grassroots Development up a level..” he went on to congratulate the Grassroots Development Centre in Newry and Mourne as well as the club members who have embraced the opportunity to take pro-active steps to further their club and themselves.
For more information please contact Malcolm Roberts: malcolm.roberts@newryandmourne.gov.uk Or 028 30313244 / 07894 614 301
