THE NEWSLETTER OF THE SCOTTISH PARTNERSHIP SEASON 2013/14

Scottish Football Partnership

SFP Investment in Community 3G Football Pitches endorsed by Stuart Cosgrove winners St Johnstone F.C. receive funding award to create new training facility SFP announce the launch of their new Charitable Trust SFP Invests £30,000 in Growing the Game awards Scottish Disability Sport’s football events KEEPIE UPPIE given funding boost Scottish Football Partnership

improved facilities across . If nothing else, funds are not infinite and recently we found ourselves 2013/14 AWARDS this demonstrates the growing need Scotland faces to in the unfortunate position of having to decline requests upgrade not only facilities but also access to our sport. from clubs seeking our support. To these clubs, we do Chairman’s Scotland eagerly awaits the start of the 2014 hope you understand our disappointment at not being Commonwealth Games - will it leave a legacy for able to help and trust that this will not deter you from football? Will youth football clubs still be looking applying to the Partnership in future. through locked gates at facilities in the school estate At this AGM, we are proud to announce the launch which they can’t access or afford to utilise? Will new of our new charitable arm – The Scottish Football Club Academy Scotland £1,837,000 Report Partnership Trust. This registered charity has been £600,000 artificial pitches be built, but without the provision of changing rooms? set up solely to help grassroots football and the amateur Facilities Strategy Awards £477,264 We continue to innovate. A pilot project soon to game. We are confident that it will attract external We enter our 15th AGM reflecting on yet be completed at Giffnock Soccer Club will see new support and we hope to be in a position to announce General Awards £499,071 another busy year for The Scottish Football changing rooms designed on primary funding very shortly. the principles of passive house “The Scottish Football The Scottish Football Portable Changing Room Partnership. To set the year in context, & Storage Awards design to harness the energy of Partnership is passionate Partnership is passionate about £217,000 our very able Company Secretary drove the sun and the activity of the about Scottish football and Scottish football and we want children within the building. This to keep as many people as we we want to keep as many over 26,000 miles to visit 78 clubs and we makes them an almost negligible can in Scotland playing football people as we can in Scotland FUNDING SOURCES processed 110 applications at 10 Board user of energy and allied with the – whether that be a bunch of 6 since SFP inception creation of a new artificial surface playing football.” year-olds running around chasing meetings and granted 93 awards. This funded by sportscotland, will give the ball in a short-sided game or introduced revenue of just over £3m to Giffnock Soccer Club, as the first 1,000 member club a group of 65 year-olds playing in the in Scotland, impressive and outstanding facilities. The team shirt they have supported for 50 years. football at all levels. enormous contribution made by the parents must also I remain indebted to a competent and caring staff be celebrated – to make this project a reality they are and say welcome to Laura Cameron who has joined e provided grassroots support in the form of 5 meeting a percentage of the costs. us from the SPFL and brings a wealth of experience. Ex–Football Trust Wnew sets of portable changing rooms from as The 2014 FIFA World Cup is once more upon us and Without the good counsel of the SFP Board, the work up to 1999 £3,700,000 far apart as Crosshouse in Ayrshire to Whalsay off whilst Scotland will not participate, there are certainly of the organisation would not happen. Scottish football . The map opposite demonstrates the spread promising signs of improvement for the future of the is very fortunate to have a dedicated group with such Scottish FA till present £11,300,000 approx. of our involvement which continues to grow. National team. We work on a very simple principle – wide-ranging expertise which they give freely and with Our biggest award was a Facilities Grant of £40,000 Sportscotland till present the more children that play football, the better chance huge enthusiasm and this makes my role as Chairman £57,000 to a Premiership club, with the smallest award of £414 we have of creating future stars. By a conservative so much easier. going to a local boys’ club – this truly demonstrates estimate, our portable changing rooms alone allow at I commend you to keep supporting The Scottish our aim of helping football at every level. least 10,000 children a week to participate in football. Football Partnership and we, in turn, will keep In concert with one of our stakeholders, Whilst the vast majority may never become professional supporting Scottish football at every level. sportscotland we helped deliver 6 new artificial pitches footballers or reach the national squad, they remain across the country. fit and healthy and continue to enjoy the benefits of James Clydesdale, Chairman THURSO I think it is fair to report, therefore, that we are a our sport. The Scottish Football Partnership STORNOWAY truly pan Scottish organisation. Regrettably, the senior game here in Scotland is The advent of the new pyramid structure to Scottish not enjoying a wonderful press at the moment and League football has brought with it fresh demands unbelievably the 2014/15 season will see 3 of the INVERNESS for smaller Scottish FA clubs to meet licensing country’s largest clubs competing in the Championship. requirements and we have assisted many of these Currently, the SPFL’s domestic leagues and Cup ABERDEEN clubs upgrade their facilities to meet these new competitions remain without a sponsor. These are challenges. certainly challenging times for football and if press DUNDEE The Scottish FA Club Academy Scheme has been reports are to be believed, some long-established clubs teeter on the edge of severe financial hardship. supported this year to the tune of £1.8m being paid DUNFERMLINE out to participating clubs after audit. As an agency, the We, at the Partnership, remain indebted to our EDINBURGH Partnership also participates fully with our stakeholders main funder, The Scottish FA. Without the Association’s via The Scottish FA Facilities Forum and this, we hope, continued and valuable support, the activities of the has helped bring focus to the delivery of new and Partnership would have ceased long ago. However our Community 3G Football Football Pitches Played Here A roundup of some of the recent clubs and initiatives that have Feature on Letham Community FC with Stuart Cosgrove been granted funding by the Scottish Football Partnership

Club: tuart Cosgrove’s Off the Ball catchphrase – “Ha was a momentous day and I hope his love for the Letham Community FC Sha, fantastic, ye cannae beat it” – summed up his game began that day like mine started in Letham all Founded: feelings when his local club – not St Johnstone but these years ago. 1960 Letham – received funding for a 3G synthetic pitch “Let’s hope this new facility helps develop some St Ground: with floodlights. Seven Acres Park, Johnstone stars of the future. The TV executive and one of the most well- Letham, Perth “What the SFP does is terrific supporting the game kent faces, or rather voices, in Scottish football was at grassroots. No wonder with former Saints player delighted to hear The Scottish Football Partnership Stuart McCaffrey as your Company Secretary.” was supporting the development on the pitches he Work started on the 3G pitch in April and it is due grew up on as a boy. to be ready in time for the start of the 2014/15 season. Stuart grew up on the Letham estate in Perth where The Scottish Football Partnership has provided Letham Community Sports Club, with 22 teams and almost 500 members, is still very much at the heart funding of £40,000, part of a £728,000 project. of the community. Other funders are Sportscotland (£158,000), Stuart told Keepie Uppie: “It’s fantastic news. I CashBack for Communities (£180,000), The played on the pitches at the bottom of Strathtay Road Gannochy Trust (£200,000), Perth and Kinross and on Newhouse Road as a boy Council (£85,000), Robertson Trust over the years. I’ve great memories of “Getting a 3G pitch is (£40,000) and the Garfield Weston games which started after your tea in terrific news. The club Foundation (£25,000). summer and went on to what seemed and its facilities are The 3G pitch, with floodlights, liked ten or eleven o’clock. It seemed vital to Letham and will be open seven days a week like midnight. its relationship with and available for use by the Letham “Great memories and that’s where football.” community, Active Schools and other my love for the game along with trips sports clubs, including Perthshire to came from. Rugby Club. “Getting a 3G pitch is terrific news. The club and James Clydesdale chair of SFP said: “We are its facilities are vital to Letham and its relationship with delighted to be supporting a great club like Letham, football. which is at the heart of the community. The success of “Over the years Letham has had good juvenile this project is due to the determination of the Letham teams and quite a few guys went on to do well at volunteers who have made a huge contribution of their higher levels. time and expertise to make the project happen.” “It has also been a well-run club and it’s great to Ken Drummond from Letham Community Sports see it getting this support from the SFP and others. Club, said: “Our home ground at Seven Acres Park “It is a very open club with women’s football a key part, with the girls’ squad . will soon have a state-of-the-art all weather facility “It’s quite funny talking about it now as Letham play complete with floodlights. This will allow the club to in tangerine, the colours of Dundee United after that further expand its activities, which, in turn, will allow historic Scottish Cup day in May at Parkhead. even more young people to participate in sport. The “I would have loved my son Jack to play on Letham facility is not only an asset for club use but on a wider scale will be a massive boost for use by the Letham pitches but I live in Glasgow now”. Local Councillor, Margaret Libberton at the opening of the new Stuart took his 18 month old son to the final. “It community for many years to come.” Community 3G pitch at Preston Athletic YFC, Prestonpans, March 2014 St Cuthbert Wanderer’s Spectator Enclosure

ichard Davis, Chairman of St Cuthbert Wanderers from maybe 20 people per week to around 250 per RFootball Club comments on the impact their new week from within our own club discounting users from spectator enclosure has had at the club, “St Cuthbert outside St Cuthbert Wanderers. Add to that the school Wanderers would like to convey to the Partnership the usage and that of neighbouring clubs, then we are club’s sincere thanks for their invaluable assistance in talking usage of anything up to 450–500 people in a the financing of our new covered spectator enclosure. regular term time week. That for a community the size Club: The project as a whole has been a massive undertaking of ours, is fantastic. In conclusion, I’d also like to add St Cuthbert Wanderers FC for a club of our size and means, and without the that it would be perhaps stating the obvious to say that Founded: contribution from the SFP we quite simply would not the club found the SFP excellent to work alongside with 1879 have been in a position to go ahead with it. the project given we were provided with in excess of Ground: It is our aim to obtain an SFA Club Licence which £10,000 of funding towards it, but from the beginning St Mary’s Park, will enable us to remain full members of the Association when I made contact with Stuart McCaffrey in the first Kirkcudbright and the covered enclosure is obviously an integral part instance, right through to the drawing down of funds, of meeting the pre-determined criteria and in so doing, we have found the whole experience has been far from we are another considerable step closer to achieving the stressful one which we may have anticipated. The that objective. The structure which preceded the new application process is a straightforward one and the enclosure did not meet the criteria in that it couldn’t help and advice given to the club from Stuart in his provide cover for 100 spectators and as well as this, capacity as Secretary only served to make it easier still St Johnstone F.C. it was deemed that it wasn’t structurally sound and and we are extremely appreciative of that help and therefore the club wouldn’t have been able to be advice. The SFP really has helped greatly to provide Training Facility Award issued with the necessary safety certification. Together St Cuthbert Wanderers with a platform from which we with the investment from Sportscotland and the local can hopefully accelerate our journey towards achieving council which has provided the club with a new 3G our ultimate aim and for that we are truly thankful.” playing surface, the new enclosure has given the club t Johnstone F.C. has been given an Award from community. This facility will complement our existing a huge boost which has allowed St Mary’s Park to SThe Scottish Football Partnership to assist with the 3G surface which is used by the club’s Youth Academy become something of a community facility as all our cost of creating a new ‘Natural Grass’ training facility teams for training and matches. We wish to extend youth teams from under 8s all the way up to under within the footprint of McDiarmid Park. what we do with our younger players and increase 15s train and play matches there now which wasn’t Saints’ Head of Football Administration, Paul Smith the number of teams available to them and this new possible even as recently as last season. Club: said; “The creation of a training and match facility with training facility has provided us with an invaluable St Johnstone F.C. It’s allowed us to bring both sections of the club a natural grass surface will provide many benefits to additional training space.” together under one roof so to speak, and that’s been Founded: the football club and the wider community. This facility Saints’ Chairman Steve Brown added; “The grant 1884 terrific for everyone involved both players and coaches will allow us to do a great deal more of our first team from the Scottish Football Partnership has been a huge alike. The youths get a real sense of belonging to the Ground: McDiarmid Park, Perth training in Perth and will make it easier for us to achieve help to us in creating a training area at the rear of club by having St Mary’s as their full time base and a key element of our plans for the future of the club McDiarmid Park. The creation of this facility is allowing it’s thanks to the investment from the Partnership and – the involvement of the first team squad in the local our players to train in Perth more often and that has the aforementioned funding sources that we have been community in Perth and Kinross.” a positive knock-on effect in the amount of work they able to do that. Allied to our own team’s usage of the “We are keen to capture the ‘next generation’ of can do in the local community.” facility, we have also had Fleet FC using the facility St Johnstone players and supporters and one of the to train over the winter as well as local amateur teams key strands of this objective is to have the players very and indeed several other clubs’ youth sections. Below visible and involved in schools across the area. Boys is a list of clubs which had the use of St Mary’s Park and girls from across Perth and Kinross will be able recently and Kirkcudbright Academy PE department to come to McDiarmid Park to view the stadium and also have exclusive use throughout the school day.” take part in fun football coaching with our players. Recent users include; Twynholm AFC, Threave St Johnstone Football Club having an identity within Rovers U17s, Dalbeattie Star U15s, Kirkcudbright the city of Perth is of paramount importance to the Bay AFC, Ship Inn AFC, Dalry AFC, Inn AFC, Mid well-being of the club and the betterment of the local Annandale U15s. “When you take into consideration that our own youth section is over 90 strong and our teams all train on it once a week, the usage of the ground has gone Palace Park F.C. Grassroots Award

avid Richardson of Palace Park F.C. said of the but character building life skills through our positive DGrassroots award “On behalf of everyone associated coaching. Our motto is “Pride, Unity and Respect” with Palace Park F.C., can I offer my sincerest thanks and we believe that these values and behaviors are to The Scottish Football Partnership for their support important not only in football but throughout life. We in providing the club with a new storage container and have achieved our Standard Quality Mark and will be the funding which has allowed us to purchase new 7 presented with our Development Quality Mark at the v 7 goalposts. Scotland v Holland U-21 International match at St Club: Palace Park F.C. The timing of the award could not have come at a Mirren Park. better time and the delivery of both the container and We are about to set up an ethnic minority Founded: 2013 goals has allowed us to store our equipment safely at participation centre in conjunction with The Scottish Bellahouston Park, close to where we coach, making it F.A. and have recently collaborated with Sense over Location: Govan, Glasgow easy to get set up on training evenings which we hold Sectarianism. Over the past few months we have also 4 nights per week. worked with The Scottish F.A. to deliver coaching The coaches are over the moon that their cars are sessions in Lorne St Primary School and Ibrox Primary no longer mobile storage for the team. As you will see School.” from this photograph, the 7-a-side goals are being utilised for 3 hours a night, Monday to Thursday and have brought a more realistic game related feel to our Scottish Disability Sport’s sessions. Our club has been on the go now for nine months, we started coaching at Bellahouston Park with 8 kids and 4 coaches and in a short period we have National Football Championships grown to 197 kids and 23 coaches. We coach from a Monday to a Thursday and have 11 teams playing on a Saturday and Sunday in the GADL, PJDL and he Scottish Football Partnership is pleased to our new ‘Band E’ section, a female section and two ERSDA. We are teaching kids not only football skills Tannounce its support for Scottish Disability Sport’s junior sections. National Football Championships in 2014. The first It proved to be a very successful tournament for of two events (National 5v5 Championship) was held Glasgow’s Firhill teams with the area claiming five out Organisation: Scottish Disability Sport at Glasgow Green on Wednesday, 30th April and the of eight competition victories. They emerged victorious second event (National 7v7 Championship) will be held in the Senior A, B, C and Ladies sections plus a victory Competition: Growing the Game Initiative National 5-a-side Football in September, 2014 at Toryglen. in the Junior B section. They also finished runners-up Championships Mark Gaffney, Opportunities & Events Manager in the Senior A section and claimed a bronze medal in Location: Glasgow Green at Scottish Disability Sport – “Scottish Disability Sport the Senior Ladies sections to take their tally to seven he purpose of The Scottish Football Partnership’s parents of the 2008 squad. As you can see from the (SDS) and The Scottish F.A. were delighted to join medals for the day. TGrowing the Game Award is to assist Scottish FA photograph the players are already putting the balls, forces with the Scottish Football Partnership (SFP) to Forth Valley ruled the roost in Class D with Stirling A Quality Mark clubs add one new team to their playing bibs and cones we purchased with the grant award deliver the National 5-a-side Football Championships defeating their own B team 3-1 in the final. In the Junior membership. The funding provided assists with to good use and they thoroughly enjoyed one of their at Glasgow Green. Scottish Disability Sport is grateful A section Hollybrook School from Glasgow defeated the start-up cost of a new team and is delivered in first training sessions”. for the support the SFP has provided for our National Lothian’s Cedarbank to secure the title. Scottish conjunction with the Regional Football Development Football Championships. Disability Sport and The Scottish F.A. are grateful staff. This ambitious pilot project aims to create 60 Club: Milan F.C. An entry of 50 teams from around Scotland for the input of Brian Martin for providing officials, new Grassroots teams during the 2014/15 season. descended on Glasgow Green to participate in the who supplemented their referees with students from One of the first teams to be created under this new Founded: 1999 largest National Championships in a number of years Langside College. initiative were Milan F.C from Coatbridge and included and a feast of football was delivered with players The attending students had received training from a 2008’s Mixed Squad with 8 new players and 3 new Location: Coatbridge refusing to let the dreich conditions diminish their David McArdle in Event Management and Coaching coaches for the Fun 4’s format. Harry McLaughlin, enjoyment of the occasion. David McArdle – National Footballers with a Disability and proved to be an Secretary at Milan F.C said “If it wasn’t for the help of Disability Development Officer for the SFA – organised extremely welcome addition to the event.” the grant from the SFP it would probably have meant an excellent day’s football with teams representing that we could not get our new team started until August eleven member branches and two non-member areas due to our current resources. I would like to thank the competing across eight different sections, including Football Partnership on behalf of the club, players and Some more recent awards Scottish Football Partnership STENHOUSEMUIR F.C 3G Stadium Pitch £40,000 SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD Grassroots education workshops £4,770 LETHAM COMMUNITY F.C. 3G Community Pitch £40,000 HOLYTOWN COLTS 5-v-5 goal posts £594 PARTICK THISTLE F.C. Turnstiles £40,000 DALZIEL HIGH SCHOOL WAR MEMORIAL TRUST Trust status to Meet the 3G Community Pitch £40,000 PALACE PARK F.C. boost grassroots SFP team 7-v-7 goalposts £406

he Scottish Football Partnership has taken the next rooms to over 40 clubs in Scotland from Berwick to RANGERS F.C. At the Scottish Football Partnership we are 3G Youth Academy Pitch Tstep in its evolution by adding a charitable arm Lewis in the Western Isles and Whalsay off Shetland”. to the organisation. The newly formed SFP Trust will John Swinney, the Scottish Government Finance passionate about Scottish football. £40,000 focus on providing support to the grassroots level of Minister welcomed portable changing rooms for the game in Scotland. Pitfour F.C. as “a great boost to the community” in ur board of directors have a wealth of experience Above from left to right: CELTIC F.C The SFP and the SFP Trust will support football his Perthshire constituency. “Who knows” John said Oin the game, experience that is vital as we William Littlejohn, Director – Former 3G Youth Academy Pitch director of Dundee United FC across all levels, however, the newly formed charity “it may lead to the stars of tomorrow”. continue to make awards to the clubs who need £40,000 brings with it a greater opportunity to attract funding The objective of the SFP Trust is to operate it most. We invite applications from any football Peter Donald, Director – Former Secretary of the partners and revenue from other agencies, such as primarily as a grant making organisation by providing organisation, whether you are a senior club in HURLFORD UNITED J.F.C. those in the third sector. This will give the SFP potential funding and support for the operation, management the Scottish or a children’s team James Clydesdale, Chairman – Former Stadium Goalposts director of Heart of Midlothian FC to expand and develop more projects at grassroots and and development of football at amateur, youth competing at a local level. We treat every application £1,117 community levels across Scotland. and community level as well as facilities, projects, the same and strive to ensure that our limited budget Fraser Wishart, Director – Chief Executive, PFA Scotland James Clydesdale, Chairman of The Scottish programmes and infrastructure. In doing so the Trust is spent in the best interests of . HAMILTON ACADEMICAL F.C. Football Partnership said: “We will now be running a aims to promote public participation in football for If you would like to find out more about funding Stuart McCaffrey, Secretary Floodlight Upgrade two track system of support for Scottish football with people of all ages regardless of their ability or social opportunities that may be available to your club we Laura Cameron, Administrative Assistant the SFP continuing to assist senior clubs with projects circumstance. The underlying ethos is access to such will be pleased to listen to your ideas and guide you £29,796 such as our recent support for St. Johnstone F.C.’s new facilities and encouraging wider participation helps to through the application process. NAIRN COUNTY F.C. training facility. Our separate SFP Trust gives us the promote better health, well-being and greater social Changing Rooms Upgrade potential to expand more of what we do at grassroots and community inclusion. levels. We are proud of the work we have carried out £30,875 and feel that projects such as our portable changing WHALSAY A.F.C. room scheme have given a real boost to the game at Portable Changing Rooms its most basic roots. We have now provided changing £40,000 Scottish Football Partnership

If you would like to see more of what the Scottish Football Partnership are up to, or to apply for your own funding, please visit us online at thescottishfootballpartnership.com

Or contact Stuart McCaffrey at: The Scottish Football Partnership , Greenhill Road, Paisley PA3 1RU Telephone: 0141 887 3863 [email protected]