In partnership with the Leeds International Futsal Arena, Millshaw placed adverts in the arena and on social media in an effort to recruit players. Aimed primarily at people who had tried to get involved with established football clubs but were turned away, or who had previously played the game but had to stop due to other commitments, the adverts had to be taken down due to overwhelming response.
Many of Millshaw’s players formerly played for Leeds United’s Ability Counts community side. Others include players who played the game at junior level and now want to get back into the game, as well as players from established teams at the Futsal Arena. Ages of our players range from 17 to 41, with people of any ethnicity or religious belief enjoying a discrimination-free environment on and off the field of play.
With an established squad of 22 players, each person paid for their own kit and made a donation to the club to cover the sizeable start-up costs involved in running a football club. With help from the West Riding Country FA and the Football Foundation, Millshaw soon became an affiliated club and were accepted into the Leeds Combination Association Football League for the 2014/15 season.
A project that should have taken 6-12 months took just 7 weeks due to the hard work and fund-raising efforts of the players and volunteers. Millshaw are now playing friendly games and training with a qualified coach ahead of our first full season in the Leeds Combination Association League. The club are now working toward achieved Charter Standard accreditation, and if the club continues to grow at the current rate will be fielding two teams from the 2015/16 season.
Millshaw have always been a club that reward hard work and commitment – the club would never have got to where it is today without it. Featured as a success story by the Football Foundation and the West Riding County Football Association, the club continues to thrive in difficult financial times.
STARTING OUT AND KICKING ON IN DIFFICULT TIMES
Millshaw Park Rangers are an open-age football club based in Leeds. Founded by Chris Holland and Declan Parnell in February 2014, the club began life with the aim of reversing the declining number of people playing Sunday league football.