Meres masterplan's moving forward

Grantham Town are pushing ahead with plans to open a Youth Football Development Centre at the Meres next season.

The Evo-Stik Northern Premier League's Gingerbreads hope to have teams playing in every age group from U10s upwards within a season at the South Kesteven Sports Stadium after initially forming sides at U18, U16, U15, U13 and U12s in August.

Coaches hope to see at least two teams playing in the Midlands Division of the Junior Premier League joining their current U16s in the competition. Others will play at a more local levels but will also compete against sides from Development Centres and Centres of Excellence at other clubs, including professional outfits.

The project will also see Grantham open a Saturday Soccer School for younger players and form a number of girls and women's sides as they bid to secure and develop the best players in the area and eventually bring them all the way through to their Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division squad.

Their Saturday school will be open to boys and girls aged 10 and under and the emphasis of coaches will be on small side games and mixed technical work to develop technically efficient players for the future.

Initial trials are set to take place between April and June and officials are now forming a committee to develop their plans in time for the new season after successfully securing initial backing from interested parties among the club's local community.

Nick Andersen, a former Gingerbreads midfielder and current manager of the U12 Gingerbreads is a driving force behind the plans which also include handing a free season ticket to all players at the new centre.

He said: "I'm really pleased that the club has decided to put a large focus on developing its own players. Given the current financial climate it is a very sensible thing to do and we are confident that there is enough talent in the area to make this work.

"We are currently setting up an infrastructure so that it becomes a sustainable system. I am particularly excited about the formation of the Saturday Soccer School and the potential that arises from that.

"We are really keen to build on the momentum that the current group of youngsters we have at the club have provided and as long as everyone pulls in the same direction the future of the club is certainly bright."

For more information or to register for a trial, contact either Eddie Humphreys at eddie.humphreys@virginmedia.com or Nick Andersen at quincycole@aol.com.