A PATHWAY into professional football in Scotland could well be opened up following the successful visit of Brian Sproul and David Mackay from the Scottish Youth Football Association (SYFA).
A relationship between the SYFA and football on the Island could also provide opportunities for Jersey’s coaches to learn and develop too, according to Sproul.
The two men had been invited over by James Scott, the former Muratti defender who teaches physical education at Grainville School and coaches with Jersey Scottish juniors.
Their productive weekend included coaching sessions for two different age groups at Haute Vallée which were open for observation for all of the Island’s football coaches. That was followed by a classroom-based coaching education session.
On Monday, they coached a group of 14 year 10 and 11 pupils at Grainville School before meeting with Jersey FA chief executive officer David Kennedy. They finished their trip with another coaching session, taking the U11 and U12 age groups at the JFA Performance Centre, alongside JFA coaches Jody Byrne and Marcus Carlow.
Reflecting on the time they had spent in the Island, Sproul, the football development officer with the SYFA, said there was definite potential for more collaboration in the near future.
“From a Scottish Youth FA perspective, having that connection to the big Scottish roots in Jersey, we want to build on that as an association,” said Sproul.
“It’s something we will have a serious look at. We would bring teams over and the other way around and give young Jersey kids an opportunity to come over and see what’s on offer in Scotland.”
Asked whether the SYFA could help talented Jersey players find a path into Scottish football, Sproul added: “It has to be explored. It has to be investigated. I don’t think that’s a door that shouldn’t be open, especially with the strong connections of Scottish people on the Island.
“We also want to offer opportunities for coaches too. Going forward, we can put on similar stuff to what we have done in the past few days and the coaches can come and hear different voices and see the practices. I think there is a wonderful opportunity for us all.”
As well as his role for SYFA, Sproul is also a coach at the academy of Glasgow giants Rangers and he was impressed with what he saw.
“It’s been fantastic,” he continued. “The kids were full of enthusiasm and we all really enjoyed it. They were all really willing to learn and listen. Very receptive and polite children.”
Scott added: “We had 30 to 35 coaches from all clubs across the Island come up on Sunday, which was great to see. We all learned a bit from them and it was great to have their knowledge and experience. Hopefully the partnership will continue between the Scottish Youth FA, Jersey Scottish and Jersey football as a whole.”
