On Sunday, 1 October the Scottish FA welcomed more than 140 Club Leaders and Coach Developers from all parts of the pathway to the recent Club and Coach Development Conference at the University of Stirling.
The conference was available to clubs at all levels of the game and each club were encouraged to nominate an ‘off pitch’ club leader such as a chairman or club secretary and an ‘on pitch’ club coach developer such as a head coach, manager or development officer to attend the day.
As such players, coaches, staff, volunteers, board members, and managers from all over the country attended the conference to hear from some top class speakers.
Key-note speakers who addressed both groups were Gavin Levey and Steven Sweeney of Aberdeen FC and Aberdeen FC Community Trust, also former Manchester United coaches Paul McGuiness and Jim Ryan.
Speaking specifically to Coach Developers present were Liverpool FC’s Michael Beale and Stuart Ferrier from the sportscotland institute of sport.
Whist the Club Leaders heard from Peter Davidson of Links Park Community Trust and Greig Mailer, the Scottish FA’s recently appointed Head of Marketing and Communications.
Scottish FA Coach Education Manager Greig Paterson said: “This type of conference was the first of its kind delivered by the Scottish FA as we seek to bring best practice from both the domestic game and the wider world of sport to help support the development of football in Scotland.
“We were treated to a host of interesting presentations with a lot of interesting ideas which I hope can be utilised by clubs across Scotland.
“This will be the first of many as the development of clubs and coaches in Scotland continues.”