Youth football players from Highland Perthshire will embark on a once in a lifetime trip to the Netherlands to face local opposition as well as coaching from Dutch Premiership club FC Twente.
The Breadalbane & Strathtay Youth Football Club (BSYFC) U15 team comprises players from Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Aberfeldy, Crieff and Kenmore. The team will travel as Perth & Kinross League Champions after a nail biting 2022/23 title race which required a play-off match and penalty shoot-out to finally separate them from early pacesetters Fair City Junior FC. Both sides were excellent all season and it took an unbelievable run of 13 wins on the bounce, for Breadalbane to finally to draw level with Fair City Junior FC at the top of the table on 70 points and force a play-off match in front of a large crowd at the neutral venue of Davie Park, Blairgowrie.
Breadalbane & Strathtay Youth Football Club has around 185 boys and girls from 5yrs to 15yrs playing football each week either in organised Perth & Kinross Youth Football Association (PKYFA) leagues or recreational sessions which they provide through Active Schools. The grassroots Club which prides itself on providing “Football for All” also organises an annual football festival in Pitlochry which attracts around 600 players from teams all over Scotland.
The trip has been made possible thanks to another of their youth team coaches, Matthijs Geerdink, Strathtay (former RKSV NEO player) from Borne who also has links with Dutch premiership club FC Twente in Enschede. The “Dutch Connection” has also been helped by local businessman Gavin Price, who played a couple of seasons for ADO Den Haag early in his playing career. Both links were seized upon by Club chair, Mairi McAdam, in helping her organise this fantastic trip.
For the players, the tour will build team spirit, develop confidence and character as well as make new friends. Goalkeeper James explained “I am most looking forward to playing against European opposition, going on tour with my friends and this really is the chance in a lifetime”; while midfielder Logan is looking forward to “seeing how the Dutch play, playing loads of football and having fun”.
From a coaching perspective, the trip will provide and insight into different ways of coaching, building an understanding of how RKSV NEO is structured and run, together with their coaching philosophy. BSYFC also hope to host their Dutch counterparts here in Scotland in the near future and build a relationship with Club NEO for years to come.
Having successfully raised over £7,000 through donations, auctions, tombola and sponsorships from their ‘1706 Miles to The Netherlands Challenge’ the U15s have an exciting programme of football and non-football activities in store – taking in a match from the Dutch Eredivisie, a selection of cultural experiences and of course plenty of football including a youth tournament.
The U15s and BSYFC would like to thank all their families, supporters and the wider community for their support – in particular Crieff Roundtable and Made by Hand.
See video link via facepost https://fb.watch/ndoG2u2ahr/
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