Proud Rams hail youth development success

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Ramsbottom United’s proud officials are hailing the success of the club’s youth development programme after three more youngsters were called up to represent Lancashire.

Liam Skinner, 18, Tom Hartley, 17, and Jordan Burton, 16, were called up this week by the Lancashire FA's U18s to take on the Westmoreland FA on Saturday.

The trio, and a number of other Rams youngsters, have all been involved in the county’s squad this season, helping Lancashire reach the national finals after beating the Devon FA’s U18s.

The First Division North club’s youth development and recruitment manager Mark Whitaker said earning the latest representative honours was a testament to the work being done at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium from joint managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley downwards.

Whitaker said: "We are pleased with the development of all the players at Ramsbottom United who only joined the club at the start of this season and started training with the first team this year from the development squad.

"This is a big testament to the management team of Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley who have had the bravery to give these boys the chance to show what they can do for the club.

"It’s been an excellent year for youth development, with four players graduating from the 2012-13 development squad - Callum Smith, Luke Bradbury, Matthew Warburton and Adam Nuttall - and also all represented the county U18s last season. This proves that investing in youth will build solid and excellent foundations for the future.

"It’s been brilliant to have such excellent first team managers who allow me to develop, coach and bring through these players when other clubs higher in the leagues, and in some cases in the NWCFL, won’t even give these young players a chance."

He added: "It is a joy to be the development manager for a club with such high ambitions to develop players. With the new full time academy in place in partnership with ON-Side sports education support and with the additional development squad programme for youth players, the future for Ramsbottom United is very rosy indeed."