Football festival nets sponsorship support

SPONSORSHIP netted nearly £1,000 for tomorrow’s Campbeltown and District Juvenile Football Association (CDJFA) festival at the Meadows.

The annual matches managed by CDJFA will see 15 games on the go at one time and welcome at least 500 football stars of the future, in 60 teams, from across Scotland.

Thanks to generous donations, all 30 goals at this year’s festival, for children born between 2006 and 2012, have been sponsored, with £995 being raised.

Such was the response to the goal sponsorship that, last Friday, CDJFA decided to extend it to the 15 balls at £20 each. Immediately Jewson Campbeltown chipped in for a couple, leaving 13 up for grabs.

CDJFA said a small part of this will help towards the running costs of the festival. The remainder will purchase new equipment.

In June 2012, what started out as a return exchange with Lochgilphead resulted in CDJFA’s idea for an annual football festival. Soon teams from Oban, Islay and Tarbert attended, followed by Central Belt squads.

CDJFA caters for football in South Kintyre for children aged from three to 18.

In February 2012, CDJFA joined Campbeltown Pupils AFC, Campbeltown Soccer Centre and educational football to form Campbeltown and District Community Football Club.

It had the simple objective to bring all local football organisations under one umbrella for the first time.

In August 2012, CDJFA elected a new committee which agreed to bring the soccer centre and school football under the auspices of CDJFA to avoid duplication of effort and to give children and youths as many opportunities to play football as possible.

This also involved signing up to the SFA’s quality mark scheme, providing a coaching framework and a player pathway for children which leads to the amateur football team Campbeltown Pupils AFC.

In early 2013, with nearly 200 youngsters attending CDJFA sessions, it registered Campbeltown Pupils Youth FC with the SYFA and more exchanges home and away started.

In August 2013, 2001s, U13s were accepted into the Dunbartonshire Football Development League (DFDL) – the first time a youth team in Campbeltown had played in a national league.

In late 2013, CDJFA was awarded the SFA’s quality mark standard award in recognition of its efforts.

In January 2015, CDJFA progressed to development status of the SFA’s quality mark scheme.

In 2017, two 11-a-side teams were entered into the DFDL at 2005s and 2002s.

Tomorrow parents and helpers will assemble at 9am on the Meadows to lay out the pitches. Kick-off for the 2006/07/08/09 seven-a-side age groups is 12.30pm with the 2010/11/12s and girls section at 1pm.