​Touchline View: a new full-time pathway created for local footballers

This week’s column is a little different.

Every so often, a club does something that matters far beyond the next match. The new fulltime scholarship programme we are introducing at Newry City AFC is one of those moments. It will give young players the chance to continue their education while training every day in a fulltime football environment, a pathway that simply hasn’t existed locally until now.

What makes this programme stand out is the partnership behind it. The club, LLS and Newry High School have built a structure that is credible, stable and properly supported. LLS already works with clubs like Larne, Cliftonville and Dungannon Swifts, and that track record gives the programme real weight. It is a model that is already working, already proven and already producing results elsewhere.

That matters, because players and families need a route they can trust, a pathway that is real.

I know the kind of journeys some players in this area have had to make to access opportunities like this. Bus into Newry, then on to Belfast, then another bus out to the ground. A full day of learning and training, followed by the same journey home again. Five days a week. That is a big ask for any teenager and any family.

So, if there is now a way for them to stay local, continue their education and train in a full time football environment, that is a real positive step forward.

The programme will be based at The Showgrounds and will combine classroom learning, on pitch training, games, work experience and football trips.

For students who have finished GCSEs and are trying to work out what comes next, that is important. It gives them a proper option. They can stay in education, keep developing in football and build towards something meaningful at the same time.

Players do not have to play for Newry City to enrol. They can train and study through the week, then continue to play for their own club on Saturdays.

The qualification is a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport, Coaching and Development. It’s the equivalent of 3 A* at A Level. That gives scholars a serious educational route and opens doors to university, employment, apprenticeships and careers in sport.

Last year, 104 LLS students got their first choice university place, 88 moved into paid coaching roles abroad, 46 went into full time employment and 24 started apprenticeships. That tells you the programme is not just about football. It is about what football can lead to.

The chance to coach abroad is something that really appeals to me. Some students have travelled to America, Canada and Qatar, while others have spent time in Spain and Finland. For young people, experiences like that are priceless. They see different cultures, different ways of working and different approaches to the game. It gives them a level of confidence and maturity that stays with them.

It builds independence. It opens their eyes to the world beyond where they live. It also shows them that even if they do not make it in the professional game, football can still take them further than they ever imagined. Literally

The work experience side is just as valuable. Students will learn how to coach, communicate, plan, lead and work with children. Those are life skills as much as football skills.

If they can stand in front of a group, speak clearly, encourage others and adapt when things do not go to plan, they are learning far more than how to play the game. That’s why it is more than a football programme.

It’s education through football. It’s structure. It’s opportunity. It gives students a reason to stay engaged, keep learning and start thinking seriously about their future.

For Newry City AFC, it is also a positive step in the right direction. The club has always been at the heart of the community. There are a lot of people working hard to develop players, grow the academy and provide a structured football pathway. This programme gives that work real substance, and it is something we are rightly proud of.

Good clubs should be about more than the team sheet on a Saturday. They should create opportunities. They should help players grow. They should use football to build confidence, discipline, ambition and belonging and this does that.

Football can open doors and this programme gives the next generation in our area a chance to walk through them.

Trials will take place on Sunday 31 May at The Showgrounds. Places are limited. Anyone interested should register using the link below.

https://llsonline.uk/apply-today

Date: Sunday 31 May Venue: Newry City AFC, The Showgrounds, Newry Start time: 3pm Finish time: 4.30pm