Civil Service U-14s complete League and Cup double
Civil Service Strollers U-14s celebrated a double success this week after picking up the Paladin Cup days after being crowded league champions.
The North Edinburgh club had to wait until the last day of the season to clinch the Division 3 league title and on Tuesday they came from 4-1 down at half-time to win the Paladin Cup on penalties against Cramond.
Coach, Ryan McIntyre, said: “With everything that has been going on it is great that our players worked hard and brought in two trophies this season.
“We have played well and the boys deserved to win the league and cup double.
“They are a really great bunch of lads and have potential play at a really high level when they get older.
“All the hard work has paid off.
“The club has been buzzing the past few days and it’s been great for the team and the other coaches.
“We will now have some time off before we start pre-season.”
Lothian’s youth football community is set to benefit from UEFA EURO 2020 Club Legacy Packs which will pave the way for future generations to follow in the footsteps of local Scotland goalkeepers Craig Gordon and Jon McLaughlin.
To celebrate Glasgow’s role as one of the 11 host cities, the Scottish FA teamed up with Glasgow Life to release 50 individual UEFA EURO 2020 Glasgow Club Legacy Packs to enhance the provision of grassroots football activities in Scotland.
Following entries ranging from Banff to Helensburgh and Strathaven, the packs have now been awarded to 50 clubs which hold Scottish FA Quality Mark accreditation. With sides from each of Scotland’s four regions securing their packs, clubs across the nation are set to benefit from specialist equipment including balls, bibs and goals which will play a pivotal role in their provision of football activities and assist in the development of Scotland’s young generation of footballers.
One of the clubs that has been awarded a legacy pack is Murieston United Community Football Club (above) which will use the UEFA EURO 2020 branded equipment to cater for more than 350 of their registered players.
The Livingston-based team pride themselves as the heart of their community and have been rewarded for providing an excellent player pathway, which has played a role in the development of international stars including Scott Arfield, Jenna Fife and Hayley Lauder.
Allan Salvona, Treasurer of Murieston United Community Football Club, said: “Scotland gaining qualification has given our members a real buzz again. It’s allowed coaches of our younger team to encourage some of the players to be like their heroes that qualified for the EUROs. Some of the younger players are now feeling inspired to be like Scotland internationals.”
Throughout the summer, Murieston aim to use their new equipment within intra-club tournaments and festivals which will showcase some of the nationalities represented within their organisation. Commenting on the UEFA EURO 2020 Club Legacy Packs, Allan added: “The equipment on offer will also allow us to continue hosting a range of exciting initiatives that we plan to hold over the coming weeks.”
Govan side Harmony Row, the youth team that nurtured a young Sir Alex Ferguson, were the first club to receive a pack in support of their excellent community links across Glasgow, spanning many decades.
Commenting on the UEFA EURO 2020 Legacy Packs, Sir Alex Ferguson said: “Lockdown has been a difficult time for all of us but for kids especially. It’s fantastic to see my old boys club, Harmony Row, benefit along with other youth clubs and it’s an important part of qualifying from the Scottish FA and the city: to make sure that it has a direct benefit to young people.
“Harmony Row played a pivotal role in my development from a very young age, not only as a footballer, but as a person.”
Progress has been too slow, Committee warns football authorities
Legislation and external regulation may be the only way to protect the rights of children and young people involved in youth football, a Scottish Parliament Committee has warned.
In a report published today, the Public Petitions Committee welcomed measures introduced by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) since it first raised concerns about unfair contracts and the state of youth football.
However, the Committee has also warned that progress in many areas has been too slow and that systemic issues remain, with over ten years passing since the petition was first lodged in Parliament – making it the longest-running petition in The Scottish Parliament.
While developments such as Club Academy Scotland players now being able to play recreational football, the establishment of a young player wellbeing panel, and the publication of a ‘Child Wellbeing and Protection Strategy’, have demonstrated a commitment to addressing the concerns raised in the petition, the Committee is not satisfied changes have improved child welfare sufficiently.
“The Committee is therefore making a number of recommendations to footballing authorities and the Government.”. It then continues “This includes calling for an independent evaluation of the work which has been carried out, in order to ensure the wellbeing of young players are protected with the possibility of legislation as a last resort”.
Committee recommendations and conclusions include:
That players under the age of 16 should not be required to sign up to multi-year contracts, proposing to extend the one-year registration period for players aged 10-14 to include 15-year-olds;
That there should be an annual sampling of contracts to ensure that young players are being paid the minimum wage, however their club chooses to remunerate them;
That the Government works with the SFA and SPFL to fully evaluate the measures already introduced, as well as to investigate the recommended changes;
That it is incumbent on the Children and Young People’s Commissioner to maintain a clear focus on addressing the outstanding issues raised in this petition, as there appear to be breaches occurring in regard to young people’s human rights in football.
Speaking as the report was published, Committee Convener Johann Lamont MSP, said: “There is a huge power imbalance between football clubs and the young people who aspire to play for them.
“Football is a passion for many young people and an offer to join a club’s youth set up may seem like a golden ticket. However, clubs trading in children’s dreams should not be hiding devils in the detail, such as contractual small print which too many young people and their parents or carers may overlook until it is too late.
“The Committee welcomes some of the measures introduced by the SFA since our consideration of this petition began, but this progress has been painfully slow. After 10 years, the Committee believes that time is up.
“A number of the issues in this petition are not simply about football, but the protection and welfare of our young people. Children under the age of 16 should not be expected to sign exploitative multi-year contracts, and young players should expect to be paid at least the minimum wage for their work.
“We are also concerned that the current Children and Young People’s Commissioner is not prioritising this petition in his office’s work, despite agreeing with his predecessor that issues remain unresolved.
“We believe that the Commissioner’s office still has a critical role to play in ensuring the rights of children involved in youth football are not overlooked.”
First lodged on 11th March 2010, PE1319 ‘Improving youth football in Scotland’ has become the Parliament’s longest-running petition ever.
Civil Service Strollers Youth FC have secured a grant from the City of Edinburgh Council to purchase new training equipment.
Forth and Almond Community Partnership allocated £1,249 to ensure the club can continue to deliver high quality coaching to over 120 local children each week.
Club Treasurer, Claire Kidd, said “We are very thankful to the council for this grant. With all clubs like ours fundraising is so important so that we can continue to keep our monthly costs to parents one of the lowest across the area.
“This grant will be used to purchase much needed new equipment and will be well used by the youth section. I would like to thank the Council and in particular, Elaine Lennon, for her assistance and guidance.”
The Strollers Youth section offers weekly football sessions for children and young people aged 5-19.
