Building for the future
“THE vision is to create a pathway for junior football, through to senior first team football - that is the ambition.”
This season is witnessing evolutionary change at of Quorn Football Club, with the launch of a new U10s side.
The new team, Quorn AFC Foxes, is led by former club player, Phil Chamberlain, with the aid of fellow coaches Matt Walne and Keith Barber.
Its bold aim is allencompassing, going far beyond any immediate trophy rewards, looking to create a footballing dynasty.
Not only does Phil want the junior section be a feeder for the first team, but he also wants to give the players the same kind of academy set-up, to help prepare them if they were spotted and picked up by the likes of Leicester, Forest or Derby.
Equally as important, he also wants to help give them life skills that they can use outside of football.
Phil, 35, told the Echo: “I want to watch our boys grow. I want them to grow into first team football, not stop at 16 and potentially have to find another club, or somewhere else to go.
“I’m trying to create, a junior academy standard, within the club.
“Whether they play for the first team, or whether they have trials for another club academy. We want to make sure they are comfortable going into either environment.”
The whole initiative has been given the backing by Quorn’s passionate chairman, Stuart Turner.
Phil says: “It’s great. He’s really keen. He’s pleased to see that the boys are down here and he’s supporting us to make sure we get the opportunities.”
The bonding of the new team with the club got underway in earnest at the beginning of the season, with the lads being provided with home and away strips and also training attire.
They then took part in a special photo shoot with a company called Club Legends, which emulated the kind sessions for professional clubs.
It was all part of attaining the feel of professionalism as well as the bonding with Quorn as their club.
This bonding has also included the lads being invited to be ball boys at the senior home games. Phil says the philosophy is mirroring the current England DNA initiative: “How we coach, how we develop our players; psychologically, socially. It’s creating a club environment.
“Here we have the facilities, the club house, the kitchen we open up in the mornings (for the teams and visitors).
“It’s creating a nice environment for the lads, or girls, to be around. It’s a nice environment for parents and players.
“We’ve got great facilities. They are phenomenal.”
The team trains twice a week on the club’s high grade artificial pitch, but on top of that, once a month they also take part in a strength and conditioning session, with former GB international athlete Colin Harris, at JW Fitness in Queniborough.
Colin puts the team through various exercises, with humour and great respect.
Phil said: “Colin is a great character.
“If I was now aged nine or 10, and getting that training ... it would be phenomenal.
“I know a lot of the academies deliver the same sessions. The fact that our boys are getting a piece of that is great.
“It’s something different. It’s about the dynamics and it will help them in future life, which is a great thing.”
“That’s just one element we are touching on. There are others, such as diet nutrition. Psychological aspect is another.
“There’s lots of opportunities and I’m fortunate to know quite a few people in different sporting professions, who will be able to support us.”
At the moment Phil is taking his FA Level 2 in coaching and has an 18 month goal to complete both that, and the UEFA B level.
A project manager at EON, he says the company is supportive of his development as a coach as the new skills he is learning, can possibly be transferred into the workplace, in much the same way Phil hopes the young players will transfer their new skills into everyday life.
“I want these players to be confident to speak to anyone - that social element.
“Football is life, but there is life out of football and if they can understand that, they can transition the skills they get from football, into every day life.
“It’s like a handshake at the beginning of a match and at the end. It’s an acknowledgement.
“I’ll be speaking to the first team and the under U21s here and say ‘if you see any of our lads, or coaches, shake their hand, out of respect’.
“That’s the environment we are starting to create. It’s the manners, the behaviours, the social side of things.”
And the aims of Phil and the club don’t end with just the present Foxes team.
The club is hoping to expand its youth programme.
At the moment Quorn FC have the U10s, the U21s and the first team.
But it is hoped that an U18s team will be introduced and also other junior teams, such as U9s, U8s and U7s.
There will also be room for a new U10s, when the Foxes move up a year next season.
It all depends on attracting other teams and coaches to the club, which Phil hopes will happen when people see the set up that has been created.
He said: “In the Charnwood area there are a lot of teams with well established junior sections.
“I know I’m going to compete against them, but hopefully I can entice them (players/teams) based on how we align to the England DNA and the facilities that we have.
“Hopefully will entice people, to think and consider and say ‘actually I want to be a part of that I can see where that path leads me to.
“It doesn’t matter what age the team would be, the philosophy is very similar. There maybe different styles within that, but aspirationally it is about producing to the first team, the same as it would be if you were at Leicester, Derby or Nottingham Forest.”
The club is seeking payers/teams coaches for U10s, U9s U8s and U7s squads, so if anyone is interested then Phil asks that they get in touch.
The Foxes are sponsored by Charnwood Fencing, Charles St Buildings Group (CSB) Sponsors, Imperial Corporate Events and Santorini Financial Planning Ltd, based in Barrow-uponSoar.
And Phil says the junior section is also looking for more sponsors to help with their plans.
The Foxes’ mission statement states that their philosophy is to: “Play an attractive brand of football, consistent through all age groups and offer a culture which has education at the forefront, whilst maintaining the highest standards of integrity and honesty amongst the people who serve within it.”
“We will make football fun and inclusive for all, by creating the right environment, By allowing them to play with freedom. By letting them make mistakes. By encouraging them to make their own decisions. We can simply #LetThemPlay.”
• Anyone who wants to know more, or is interested in joining can contact Matthew Walne, 07980 002429. E-mail matthew. walne@sky.com