Whittington Park Youth FC was only started nine months ago, but Jono Humphris and Steven Philpott-Petrou thought they needed a change from their previous club.
“After starting to coach at another local club we realised we weren’t getting or giving the best opportunity we could offer for the kids involved and with little impact on the structure and options for development we needed to start again with our own ambitions and ideas,” said Humphris.
Starting a new club can be very hard and both coaches had found it difficult at the start but over time and effort, they finally made headway into the project after a couple of months.
“The hardest challenge has been finding venues to play matches. We have had numerous agreements for pitches setup and get pulled late in the day.
“Lack of reply from land owners i.e schools, sports centres etc makes it hard to plan too far ahead,” he continued.
“Thankfully we have secured a great venue for our u9/10 league matches, a second pitch for friendlies with the assistance of UOG and our local school for allowing our summer interim training and now our U5/6/7s to train weekly.”
The club is community led and runs of the hard work of volunteers and Humphris highlights the importance of parents and the inclusivity it brings to the club.
“We, as a community club, are always getting parents involved whether that’s fundraising, event help, volunteering, socials etc.
“When we host fundraisers such as easter and Christmas raffles we are always engaging with local business to offer support, vouchers, donations etc so we can get the word out to these local businesses about what we are and who we are.”
Sponsors are also a big part of the club as it brings in much needed revenue to an ever growing club.
“We currently have six local family owned sponsors who have donated funds to purchase equipment and kit in return for social media exposure and logos on kit and equipment.
“This is an endless opportunity to engage local businesses and also get exposure through their business pages as well as via our own promotion of their services.
“We also have regular communication with local councillors about opportunities for venues and options for development and support from larger business will help that and only social communication can enhance this idea.”
For all their hard work in grass roots football, Humphries and Steven Philpott-Petrou have been recognised for their hard work by the Football Association.
“We have been recognised for our efforts in the grassroots age and have the incredible opportunity to play at HQ-Wembley, at an event for volunteers from across the country.
“This is exceptional and an event which really shows our commitment to achieve great things for this club and in 6 months to go from 0 to 75 children is incredible.
“With more infrastructure, a permanent home and support of local businesses the club can become something special.”
Check out more with the Live Blog Here.
