Spennymoor Town
The club is very much focused on
having a one-club mentality and this
was evident when we also spoke with
Spennymoor Town Youth’s Academy
Manager Andy Lowe who said, “I joined
in January this year as the new full-time
Academy Manger. It’s an honour to be
involved in the club as I’m a Spennymoor
lad. I live in the town, grew up here,
played for the club in the Unibond
League and taught in the local school.
My attraction is simple, I’m a local lad
wanting to help the club achieve its lofty
ambitions.”
“The mood’s very positive here. I’ve
been blown away by the professionalism
and drive from the people within the
club since I joined. There’s a positive
vibe that runs from bottom to top and
Tony has to take a good deal of the credit
for that.
“The club is playing at the highest
level in its history and still pushing
for promotion so I’d say the season
is going very well. It’s a remarkable
achievement for a small-town club, who
are competing with teams who are full-
time professionals.
“We’re developing a new structure
in the academy that is fit for purpose, at
the forefront of modern standards and
which will allow the club to develop
further in the longer term. I was so
impressed when I met Tony and Brad
Groves, the owner of the club. They both
share a fierce passion for the club and
also youth development itself.
“They have invested in the academy
by bringing myself in full time to run it.
The next 5-10 years are very important
in terms of the club developing home
grown players who can compete and be
regulars in the first team squad, which
hasn’t been the case in recent years. Our
under 18s train regularly with the first
team and feature in the first team squad
in the league from time to time. It’s great
experience for players who’ve shown the
necessary levels of quality.
“We’re at the heart of the Spennymoor
community. One of our priorities is to
develop a ‘bottom up’ approach which
includes community provision, links,
programmes etc. The community is our
future and it’s important to maintain our
relationships and build on them.
“The club’s on an upward trend at
the moment, so it will be the things that
come with a jump in level – facilities and
stadium improvements – that will be
the biggest challenge. We need an all-
weather training facility too. Our players
all have jobs as well as being footballers,
they’re part time, so another jump in
level would stretch their ability to make
all games/commitments that come with
playing in a predominantly professional
league. That’s likely to be something to
consider on the horizon.
“Our ambition on the academy side
is to grow our connections with the
community and education sector to
offer pathways for all levels of youth
involvement in football, regardless of
age, gender or ability.”
Bell Electrics Ltd
Domestic - Commercial - Industrial
Electrical contractors
Spennymoor
T: 01388 327296 M: 07896324627
E: [email protected]
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