Murieston United Community Football Club has been recognised for their valuable contribution to grassroots football with the inaugural Scottish FA’s South East Region Community Club of the Year Award.
Scottish FA Club Development Manager David Drummond has been delighted with the work the Club have been doing for the local community. “Murieston United have been a strong Club for a number of years now. They have a fantastic group of individuals working at the Club which has seen them achieve an excellent facility that provides young players with a great platform to develop as a footballer. What strikes me most when I walk into the Club rooms here is the tremendous sense of togetherness from the coaches, players, parents and Club Officials. They are a real Community led football club and we hold them in the highest regard”.
On hand to present the Club with the Award were Livingston FC’s Jason Talbot and Keaghan Jacobs. The SFL 2nd Division League leaders, who use Murieston’s pitches for training, were delighted to pass on the Award to a Club that has produced a number of senior players such as Scott Arfield, Chris Innes and Keaghan himself. “The club do a brilliant job for so many young footballers and now have a great place to train and play. We use their pitch for training so it’s nice to see them getting this Award for all their hard work” said Jacobs.
Gwen Christie, Honorary President for the Club, was thrilled to receive the Award from the Scottish FA. "We are absolutely delighted to be presented with this Award, especially as the Club has just celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. The Club is run by a very committed and dedicated Committee of volunteers who carry out the Club's ethos of providing a safe environment for everyone to train and play football".
The Club was founded in 1985 and has since developed from 1 team to 24 for children and youth players and includes a full pathway for girls’ into the women’s game. The Club has over 500 registered players with many coming from a successful soccer school which began fifteen years ago. In 2009, the Club was awarded the Scottish FA’s Community Quality Mark Award, becoming the first Club from West Lothian to do so and is currently one of only 24 in the whole of Scotland to hold the prestigious honour. Out with their continuously growing number of teams, the Club also offers a specific goalkeeping school, midnight league football for local disengaged youths and is now looking to move into disability football.
Alistair Shaw, Head of Area Services for West Lothian Council was also there to thank the Club for the excellent work they do for the people of Livingston. “At West Lothian Council, we hold this Club up as a model of great practice in every sense. To cater for so many players and establish a network of keen and enthusiastic coaches is a fantastic achievement. We are immensely proud to have a Club like Murieston United delivering grassroots football in West Lothian and to be the inaugural winners of this Award for the South East of Scotland is great credit to everyone involved at the Club”.