Doing it the Spurs way ...
DROGHEDA BOYS AND TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR NOW HAVE A LINK UP TO MATCH ANY.
THERE are times when you wonder who is the professional, the man that has seen it all and taught the joys of the beautiful game all over the planet, and who does this at a different level of the game - from cutting the grass to formulating a five-year development plan. Their paths differ, their enthusiasm is matched.
Side by side they stand, Steve Embolten, senior football development coach at Premiership giants Tottenham and Graham Campbell, chairman of the Drogheda Boys and one of the most insightful figures you’ll fnd in the game.
Embolten and his team spent last week at Rathmullen, passing on priceless advice to young players from 8 to 16 at a player development week.
It followed on a link up between the Boys and Spurs after an association between the Marley’s Lane club and Drogheda Utd ended.
‘We spoke to a few clubs, but Tottenham were the only ones interested in what we want to do here,’ Graham states.
They now sport a link up that culminated in the week long session, where the Spurs coaches also worked with the Boys teams and trainers. It was enriching for everyone.
‘I’m very impressed with the facilities here,’ Embolten states.
He feels the Drogheda Boys are developing a community bond that is very much in the Spurs ethos.
‘I’ve coached in America, Brazil, Australia, India, all over, but it’s great to come to a place like Drogheda.
‘I can see the club here wants to be involved in the community and football can be a tool to have an influence on people’s lives.’
He says coaches and players were enthused to learn and described the pitches as ‘incredible’.
He will be doing a report on the week when he returns to London this week but adds, ‘I can’t see why there won’t be a long lasting relationship between the clubs.’
Graham Campbell sees Tottenham as another link to the club’s future ambitions, very much based on community involvement and a ‘sport for all’ mindset.
They have over 17 teams, over 35s, 80 players in the kindergarden, a new girls section, an over 50s walking football set up, an intercultural link with young kids from Mosney and specific sections, high performace select teams that will train three times a week, an academy, a community section, a recreational model and a future mixed ability section.
Plans include a clubhouse - within a year - a new pitch and a 9v9 all weather, all part of an ambitious 5-year plan.
Funding on a national scale will be vital to see the potential reached, but Campbell is a whole-hearted worker, if he starts the job, he’ll finish it type of attitude.
‘Capital funding is important and we’ve gotten great help from Mayor Pio Smith and Senator Ged Nash and we’ve had the FAI down here too.’
‘I want to see the club open to as many people as possible,’ he states.
Shortly, the age groups will see Drogheda Boys teams at 18 and 19 enter the Leinster Senior League.
Leaving Tottenham’s coacbes impressed with what they saw so far is certainly a big plus on the journey.