Future looks bright for Ayr United Football Academy

Dec 24 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

AS winter bites and matches are postponed all over the country, we take a fleeting look back at Ayr United Football Academy's season so far.

Early on, it looked like being a successful one as the under 13 girls won the Scottish Cup League Plate in a high scoring tussle with Kilbirnie at the Toryglen complex in Glasgow.

August also saw the closure of Whitletts Primary School but not before the AUFA and the Co-Operative Insurance Cup teamed up to give the pupils a free coaching masterclass, delivered by youth coach, Craig Richmond.

Then the sponsors allowed all the kids to have their photos taken with the Co-Op Insurance Cup.

Panda Pals 1000 was also born this month, gathering funds from kind donations for two purposes. The donations involved are to purchase season tickets for under 12s to visit, watch and support Ayr United FC with all funds raised ring fenced exclusively for player purchases within the first team.

The reserve team this season has also had its share of success and has been filled with the 19s squad.

In a bizarre fixture set up, last season's Reserve League Cup semi final was played in August against a Dunfermline side made up of almost totally of first team senior players.

It wasn't to be, on the night at East End Park, as a young Ayr team lost out, but the performance was excellent, only just losing out.

The 19s were to get their revenge a few weeks later though as they beat the Fife side on league duty.

While the 17s remain unbeaten in league football so far this season, the girls’ 13s clinched the Scottish South West ‘B’ League winners’ trophy after a final day victory over Kilbirnie.

Some great performances have taken place this season, with headlines of 'Pure Br17iance' from the 17s to the 15s in 'Seventh Heaven'. '16's Fraser Four Show Floors Clyde' and 'Five Alive For 19s are another couple that spring to mind and not to forget the '14s Royal Flush'.

There have also been invitational visits to Rangers' Murray Park and Celtic's Lennoxtown training complexes for some of the teams. A worthwhile experience for all involved and visiting and playing at such great venues as this, only enhances the Academy as a whole and gives the players involved a great experience when pitting themselves against the best in the country.

October saw the Aberdeen branch of the Ayr United Supporters’ Club come up trumps again with their outstanding fundraising efforts on behalf of the Ayr United Football Academy and Alzheimer Scotland.

The Granite City based fans handed over £8,200 from their fundraising football quiz, held a few months ago at the Inn at the Park in Aberdeen. The money was divided equally between the two charities and means that the fans have now raised more than £50,000 on behalf of both organisations since they ran their first quiz night back in 2005.

This season has also seen an influx of Academy players making their mark on the United first team squad. Jonathan Tiffoney has been a regular in the squad this season and has put in many excellent displays with many saying that he has been the best and most consistent performer so far.

If you add in Ross Robertson, Ally Woodburn, Aaron Connolly, Sean Kelly, Dale Moore and Roddy Paterson, the Academy has had a huge impact on the first team squad and with a total of seven Academy players having signed professional contracts this season, the future looks bright for not only the AUFA but also for Ayr United FC.

Players in the Academy have sometimes had their injury worries, Dale Moore receiving a bad injury in the 19s youth cup tie against Dumbarton.Andrew Muir broke his collarbone for the 17s and Chris McFadzean also received a bad knee injury also while playing for the 17s.

Roy Barr for the 14s was also out for four weeks after a knock received while playing. However, due to the excellent facilities and backroom staff made available to the Academy, these injuries are treated in the proper manner with the players receiving constant medical treatment and physiotherapy ensuring they come back even fitter and stronger than before.

Term time is always a time that parents are looking for things to keep their kids occupied and the AUFA once again ran a successful programme of coaching and training during the school holidays.

The coaching, however, doesn't end there for the resident football development coaches at the Academy. Three month long blocks of training and coaching are almost at an end but will begin in the New Year with hundreds of kids regularly receiving the best coaching available in the area from Scottish FA certificated coaches to help develop the young players' skills and awareness of football.

The community programme forms a large part of the Academy's activity, with varied programmes all over the county. The Academy’s first and biggest project was the South Ayrshire football development programme which it continues to deliver in partnership with South Ayrshire Council, the Scottish FA and Ayr United FC.

It includes soccer centres, out of school soccer classes, local boys’ clubs development programmes, girls’ youth development programmes and the Academy continues to encourage participation in the Scottish FA’s coach education football courses for any potential coaches.

Other programmes include the Everybody Active Programme which is funded by the Robertson Trust, South Ayrshire Council, Ayrshire Sportsability and the Clydesdale Bank.

It is a three year programme, which comprises three weekly classes at SouthCraig and Queen Margaret Schools in South Ayrshire and involves an average of 40 weekly participants.

Then there are: The Tesco Bank Programme, where the Academy will use the power of football to get primary two and primary three children (six to eight years old) active, not only at school but by establishing long-lasting activity week in, week out; and also The McDonald’s School Football Programme where AUFA have to date ensured that 10 primary schools received 20 hours of coaching and 20 hours of games each, with 332 primary six and seven age children benefiting.

November saw the Academy nominated for an NHS Scottish Health Award at their ceremony in Edinburgh but although finishing runner-up, a prize of £400 was awarded to it for its coaching contributions in the community care section

Other non football field related items included a visit from the South Ayrshire football reminiscing group who had a great couple of hours getting a tour round Somerset Park.

AUFA have also extended their partnership with Firstpoint USA, which offers Academy players an opportunity to pursue college scholarships in the United States. Also on the matter of college, young Demi McCulloch along with 14 others continue on their coaching path, studying a sport and recreation (soccer) course in conjunction with AUFA and Reid Kerr College.

It’s been a busy half season so far for all the 80+ staff at the Academy and they look forward to the second half of the season with enthusiasm, hoping to bring as much success then as they have done so far in the first half.