UNITED ACADEMY GETS SFA AWARD
Davie White has pledged the Ayr United Academy will keep on improving after being awarded Progressive status by the SFA. Ayr are one of eight teams in the second tier but Academy head White stresses they will strive to reach the top. The SFA’s Project Brave initiative gave Elite status to Aberdeen, Celtic, Hamilton, Hearts, Hibs, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Rangers. Just below are Ayr, Dundee United, Forth Valley, Inverness, Partick, Ross County, St Mirren and St Johnstone. Third tier Performance status went to Dundee, Fife, Morton and Queen’s Park. White claimed: “This is another important step on the Academy’s pathway to the top. “We have been steadily improving standards since the Academy was formed and this is not the end of that pathway, merely a slight pause before we move on to Elite status. “Our staff and volunteers are all aware of our ambitions and I am proud of their commitment and the way that they have applied themselves to providing the environment which our young players experience.
“I look to coaches, players, parents and staff to support our objective to remain competitive, maintain high standards and show constant enthusiasm within the Progressive section.
“We aim to demonstrate to the SFA on and off the pitch that we are ready for the Elite step up when the opportunity arrives.”
Academy teams will compete in the Progressive section, designed to ensure that developing, ambitious academies can progress to full Elite status.
The AUFA is ideally placed to do so and, at latest, will make application for Elite status in June 2018, when the academies will be re assessed.
The Academy have fulfilled 73 of the 75 Elite criteria so are well on their way to achieving it.
AUFA will compete against the other seven Progressive clubs three times per season and once against Elite teams.
Academy staff has been preparing for entry to the new stage of the Club Academy set- up for the last year.
Several key full time appointments have been made, including a full time Head of Sports Science, full time Head of Performance Analysis and Head of the Professional Programme.
White added: “We are not content to remain in the Progressive section. Elite was, and remains, our goal and while we seek this goal our young players will be offered the same high level standards as their counterparts in the Elite section.”
Already this season, eight Academy graduates have made appearances in the first team, with David Waite, Luke McCowan, Leon Murphy, Stuart Faulds and James Hilton making debuts while Kieran Balfour is excelling in the 20s team and patiently awaiting his turn.
Finn Ecrepont scored for Scotland 16s and there are others in the younger groups .