Barrow AFC Performance Centre

[PIPKEENOFF]

Now it's called the Barrow AFC Performance Centre

I guess the article below is in the correct section


For the past five years, under the guidance of former Bluebird Neil Doherty, the Furness Football Performance Centre has been assembling the best children in South Cumbria to play together.

With the aim of building a youth framework at the club, they have established teams at under-11s through under-16s – as well as special coaching groups for goalkeepers – and are now ready to take the Bluebirds name.

From next season they will be known as the Barrow AFC Football Performance Centre, symbolising their place as the official youth programme at the Conference club.

“Five years ago, we set off with a plan to try and build a youth structure from 11 to 16 and now we’ve achieved that,” said Doherty, who has been instrumental in the development of the programme and the building of relations, with both AFC and the Barrow and District Junior Football League.

“From next season, it will be known as Barrow AFC Football Performance Centre.

“We feel as though the time is right for the name change. The catalyst was probably when we were getting all of the kits printed and we were going to get a ‘Furness Football Performance Centre’ badge made up.

“We asked the players what they would prefer – Furness Football Performance Centre or Barrow AFC – and the answer was 100 per cent Barrow AFC.

“They want to feel part of the club and rightly so.

“The reason we didn’t originally, was because we just felt as though we had some work to do with local football in terms of the relationship with Barrow AFC and we didn’t want anyone from Askam, Millom, Ulverston thinking this was just a Barrow-centric thing.

“I think we have proven that now and that’s why we have changed the name. It is effectively the club’s youth programme now.”

The teams’ new shirts now have the Barrow AFC badge on and Doherty is keen for them to become more associated with the Bluebirds.

He admits things have been done quietly but efficiently so far, but – thanks to hard work and the help of sponsors Steve Walker and Joyce Walker from Plastic Man and Barrow Borough Sports Council – he feels the time is right to publicise the links with the club and take the next step.

He added: “We have operated slightly to the side of the club, but they have been aware of what we are doing.

“There are some very important steps coming up now as the young players make the step-up from boys to youth to men.

“The ultimate aim is that we get one or two coming through to the Barrow first team, which has always been a desire of mine.

“We’ve tried to build it from the bottom and people haven’t always been able to see what has been happening – it has been a little below the radar in some respects.

“But we have built it slowly and the ultimate intention is that we will have a pathway from age 11 through to 19, 20, 21 so that we are giving players regular opportunities to play against better players and to train as well, so that they will be in the best shape possible to potentially be given the chance to play at that higher level.

“It’s not easy, because it is a very high standard in the Conference now and we are under no illusions. “But a structure is there now that wasn’t before.”

Teams in the programme train together once a week with goalkeepers coached separately. There are occasional games played – between six and eight for each squad per season and an end-of year tournament, this year at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium. Home games are played at Holker Street and matches have been contested under the floodlights as the scheme has developed.

Relationships with both AFC and the local junior clubs have been built and improved and Doherty added: “Right from the start, we tried to build it round the Barrow and District Junior League clubs.

“When we first started talking about the set-up, one of the concerns of the junior league teams was that we might take their best players away, as some of the professional clubs do, and they are not allowed to play for their local clubs.

“If we did that in this area and took out 15 or 16 of the best players, then that would really impact on the local football scene, so we had to work around it.

“One of the points I tried to make at the start is that the clubs would benefit from the programme.

“Their players are getting good coaching, fixtures against better players and then, what should happen is that they go back to their clubs as better players.

“The feedback that we get is that most of the clubs seem quite happy with it – I haven’t received any negative feedback, which is probably a major achievement in its own right.

“We are really sensitive to the fact that without the local clubs, without their support for the centre, then it just wouldn’t work.

“We seem to have kept everyone on board.”

First published at 16:21, Thursday, 14 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk

[barrowaberdeen]

Considering the barriers, what's been done is excellent :flag:

Next steps are hard.

Neil, I think, always wanted there to be something that kids who hadn't made it in the academies could come back to and build again towards the first team a couple of years later, rather than going off into the Furness Prem with pals. If he can do that, and build up our own youth set up through the ages they'll change football in Barrow for good.

Wouldn't it be nice if one day the excellent work of the BDF and everyone else raising money could go on stuff like this more, and less on essential upkeep etc

[ruins]

Considering the barriers, what's been done is excellent :flag:

Next steps are hard.

Neil, I think, always wanted there to be something that kids who hadn't made it in the academies could come back to and build again towards the first team a couple of years later, rather than going off into the Furness Prem with pals. If he can do that, and build up our own youth set up through the ages they'll change football in Barrow for good.

Wouldn't it be nice if one day the excellent work of the BDF and everyone else raising money could go on stuff like this more, and less on essential upkeep etc

Here here Steve

What a man to bring this potential academy into the future!!!

[Reg]

I'm heartened by this.

Its no secret that I think the future of the club has be built on youngsters both on the pitch and on the terraces.

I hope that the BOD can find some funds to support this project properly, so it doesn't end up like the reserves set-up used to be.

Good work Neil.

[Jonty]

Yeah- well done for getting it all set up. When I read the article in the Evening Mail and the fantastic photo of the team at the ground I thought this is great news. Lets see those teams do well and I hope Barrow look after them all and make them really feel part of the set up. Maybe get the chance to join first team training etc. All in good time of course , but really good to read about.

[burnzio]

Great news this. Keep up the good work.

[DaveC]

This is really very encouraging news, Doc and his team have done some amazing work there. Long may it continue, these lads are our future!