Academy’s purchase of Town to aid player development
ROB Smethurst and Carlos Roca, owners of Pro Football Academy Ltd (PFA), a private football coaching academy with its head office in Wilmslow, have announced the recent purchase of Stockport Town FC Ltd.
Roca said: “We see the procurement of the club as a natural progression of our inclusive football programme.
“The synergies are obvious and as a business, we now have the capability to provide further long-term development for all our players with Stockport Town FC, offering a fantastic semiprofessional platform for our junior players to aspire towards.
“Participation is a crucial element in everything we do at Pro Football Academy. Across our thirty-five UK centres, we currently have over two thousand junior players. We would love to build the fanbase and following of Stockport Town and those loyal to the local community in Stockport. With an initial investment of funds, coaches and time, we hope to elevate the club as a brand and increase its interaction with all those involved”.
Rob York, Chairman of Stockport Town FC, added: “We are proud of the work that has gone into making Stockport Town FC a reputable club over the last 5 years, creating fantastic opportunities for young, talented players. We feel that PFA share this philosophy and look to work with and improve our current squads to ensure future success”.
Lindsay Brown, PFA Operations Director said: “Stockport Town FC is a brilliant club with outstanding ideals, and we are incredibly proud to be a part of the club’s journey moving forward.
“We are hoping to bring a freshness to the excellent foundations the
Stockport Town Directors Rob York, Rob Clare, Ian Dixon and Seb Rowe have put in place. Rob York and Rob Clare will both be staying on in roles within the club’s structure and will help us to guide the football club to even greater achievements over the coming years”.
Pro-Football Academy
Ltd is a professional football academy, training and coaching players from 4-16 years old. With over 35 centres UK wide (and one in Norway), it coaches over 2,000 children each month, employs over 100 staff and UEFA qualified coaches and has plans to expand to 150 centres by 2021.