Kitching becomes bursary boy number three

Stafford Rangers manager Neil Kitching is looking forward to getting his UEFA B license after becoming the latest coach to take advantage of the EVO-STIK Northern Premier League's Coaching Development Fund.

The NPL's successful bursary scheme is part-funded by the Football Association to pick up 50 per cent of the costs of earning FA and UEFA coaching badges and Kitching is the third coach already this season to have benefited after Mickleover Sports physio and coach Dave Hoole and Stourbridge's Steve Fellows both collected their awards in recent weeks.

Candidates have up to three years to complete their courses at a variety of venues and like other recipients, Kitching has benefited from a retrospective payment of £200 after starting his studies before finding out that the league could support him as part an on-going drive to raise standards of excellence.

Kitching is pictured being presented with his bursary cheque towards the cost of the FA Level 2 course he passed with the Birmingham FA by the EVO-STIK NPL's development officer Mark Ogley before guiding his side to a 3-0 win over Rainworth Miners Welfare earlier this month.

Ogley was delighted to see the career of another coach boosted and is looking forward to handing out further awards over the course of season as more clubs and their coaches continue to take advantage of the FA backed initiative.

Ogley said: "It's great that Neil has now fully completed his courses with the help of our bursary scheme. Neil was delighted with the league's help and will be progressing onto a UEFA B course next year which is fantastic news and a great example of how the bursaries can help other coaches develop and achieve their potential."

Kitching took over at Marston Road in May as the successor to Graham Heathcote follwing the club's relegation to First Division South. He left Rushall Olympic on a high after winning May's Walsall Senior Cup Final following five successful years at Dales Lane.

More information on the FA Level 2 courses can be accessed through local County FAs with information also on available on the FA Learning website. For further information about the EVO-STIK NPL's scheme, club secretaries should contact Mark Ogley via email at: ogsshae@hotmail.com.

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