professional footballers is much more clear. Football
is being given to the brightest talents on a daily
basis through school, technique is king and at youth
international level we play 4-3-3 across the age groups.
Now we just have to wait 5-10 years... be patient.
6 The Player Pathway & Fun 4s/Super 5s
Two major issues have been conquered by the
introduction of the Scottish FA’s (in association with
the SYFA/SWF/SSFA/Club Academy Scotland) Player
Pathway. Young players are getting hundreds of extra
touches on the ball every week and young players across
Scotland are now all on the same page. It’s still a work in
progress and we are excited to see how it develops, but it’s
one of these things that makes you think ‘why wasn’t this
always here?’
5 Girls at grassroots
‘The fastest growing sport in the world’. And Scotland is
doing their bit. Every year more and more girls are taking
up the game; leagues are expanding; more festivals are
being organised; teams are starting younger. The current
rate of growth is quite remarkable. At the heart of it all,
football is now a ‘cool thing to do’ for young females.
Watch this space.
4 Positive Coaching Scotland
How many times have you witnessed a coach at youth
level shouting and bawling at a young player? ‘Far too
often’, is the answer for most. This is becoming a thing
of the past thanks to an initiative set up by the Winning
Scotland Foundation. It provides workshops, club and
individual development opportunities and educates
how a lot more can be achieved through more positive
methodology. All of the major stakeholders across football
and other sports have bought into it – if your club isn’t
then we suggest you get on the case.
3 Ryan Gauld
berth to a 17 year old that is 5’4” tall and weights 65kg.
Would this have happened 5 or 10 years ago? Our hunch
is no. In recent years you are forever hearing stories
along the lines of ‘I was ditched from the pro youth system
because I was too small’. Well Scottish Messis in the
making, here’s your inspiration.
2 Girls reaching new heights at
international level
Naturally, with the growth of girls football at grassroots
level, a knock on effect has been enjoyed at the top level.
Scotland’s WU17 squad were perhaps expected to come
through the initial qualifying round, held in Aberdeenshire, against Montenegro, Czech Republic and Northern
Ireland. However, they then definitely upset the odds by
seeing off Finland, Hungary and Norway in the Elite Round
to progress to the European Championships.
If that group of players excites you, then wait until you
see the next set. The Scottish Schools FA’s U15 squad
won the Bob Docherty Cup (a similar event to the Victory
Shield) and have beaten their English counterparts four
times in the last five matches, with the last one being a 5-0
victory in Glasgow.
1 Victory Shield heroes
A classy 3-0 opening day win away to Northern Ireland;
a fantastic come-back against Wales to salvage a point
from the jaws of defeat; and victory over the Auld Enemy
on Scotland’s own turf in the deciding match. Campaigns
don’t come much better than the Scotland Under 16
squad’s 2013 Victory Shield effort.
Not only did Scotland beat England – when only a draw
was required. The young Scots outplayed their opponents
for long periods, not least in a devastating second half
display. Winning is far from the most important thing at
this age group – development takes priority. However, the
performances by this squad of players gave the whole of
Scotland an insight to the direction the national game is
heading. Up.
When was the last time you heard of a Scottish player
being linked to Juventus, Manchester United and Real
Madrid? It’s been a while. Let’s look a little deeper than
Gauld’s talent and think about the bigger picture. A
Scottish Premiership side has given a weekly starting
Issue # 1 | YFS Magazine | 69