When the Football Development Officer vacancy in West Dunbartonshire arose, Kenny McComish couldn’t wait to get his application form in. The chance for the local lad to help develop and shape football in his home region, using the vast experience he had gained from across Scotland, was a dream come true.

“My previous experiences in football have taken me from volunteering and working within community programmes in various Local Government Authorities and grassroots clubs to working with professional clubs in varying roles,” said Kenny. 

Within Football Development, Kenny has also worked in East Renfrewshire for the last two years as the Scottish FA Assistant Football Development Officer. The opening in West Dunbartonshire therefore seemed like a perfect opportunity.

Kenny said “After the interview process, I was contacted and offered the position, which I was delighted to accept.” This was a process which included him giving a presentation on his vision for the future of West Dunbartonshire football. Along with his local knowledge, Kenny has hit the ground running.

His role comes with a number of responsibilities, which include establishing and implementing an infrastructure for all football in West Dunbartonshire. This covers all age groups from youth to adult football, as well as the woman’s game and disability football.

Kenny has big aims for West Dunbartonshire Football going forward. First and foremost, is for the area to achieve its maximum potential.

He also admits that one of the biggest aspects of his job is to bring together the grassroots community in West Dunbartonshire. Part of that is bringing the community together through sports clubs which are run by community programmes and schools.

Another task will also be to meet with the clubs in West Dunbartonshire. He said “Having just started in the role my key aim is to try and meet as many of the clubs in the area as possible. This is to continue the positive relationships that they have had with the Football Development department and to establish how they would like to move forward with our continued support.”

Kenny also believes that the role of the Football Development Officer is important in every community and football participating area. He said “The role of a Football Development Officer to the local area is vital, as defined by some of the roles and responsibilities that they have.

“They play a huge part in the provision of football within their communities through creating participation opportunities and the support that they provide to clubs and schools.”

“With a consistent approach from Football Development Officers at local level, this provides strong regions within Scotland. This ultimately progresses to a positive impact on Scottish Football as a whole.”

Under Kenny’s guidance, exciting times lie ahead for players, coaches and clubs throughout West Dunbartonshire.