Vaughan leads recruitment drive

Garry Vaughan is heading out into the local community to start recruiting young players following the launch of Trafford's new academic partnership.

The Evo-Stik Northern Premier League manager is leading efforts to build on the North's existing schools community programme after they teamed up with Flixton’s Wellacre Sixth Form College.

Vaughan, pictured, is now visiting local high schools to deliver training sessions to prospective students after the Evo-Stik NPL First Division North unveiled the partnership as the next stage in their community development plans for the Trafford and Urmston areas.

The full-time scholarships for boys will see them study for FA coaching qualifications, a BTEC Diploma in Sports Level 3 - the equivalent of two A Levels - plus one other chosen subject. Students will receive over 10 hours a week coaching in college as well as a further three hours with Trafford at Shawe View. They'll play weekly in the English Colleges League, get the chance to earn representative honours for Greater Manchester and England Colleges and also go on to form the basis of Trafford FC's Under 21 Development squad.

Vaughan, who also heads up the club's community coaching programme, says the best students could also find themselves playing in his first team.

Hailing the new partnership, Vaughan said: "This is a fantastic development for both Wellacre and ourselves and ties in really well with the existing schools community programme and the GV Soccer school. This will see us put in place firm foundations to benefit not just the football club but the wider community.

"We are fully committed to developing our own young players and have already seen four of our talented 16-year-olds play major parts in our games so far. For us to be able to offer this superb opportunity to the boys in our area can only be seen as a positive thing from all sides."