"From the dugout" - How Professional Do You Want Your Amateur Club To Be ?

Several years ago "How professional do you want your Amateur Club To Be?" was a question posed by friend of the the management team Paul, This is a question that we still ask ourselves to day, especially when we are thinking of projects or ideas that can develop us a a team and a club.

No matter what level teams and clubs are playing at, we all run differently, with both internal and external factors playing a part in how we operate.

In 2019 we carried out some research into how professional and semi- pro clubs are set up, with the aim of seeing if we a can adopt and adapt ideas to help us to function better as an amateur football club

Returning from lockdown, gave us the opportunity regroup and restructure ourselves based on the FIFA Model. We split our support roles into four sections: Medical, Retainment & Recruitment, Administration and Training.

Our restructure has benefited us in many ways both on and of the pitch.

Medical

• We now have a match - day physio

• We have replaced our First-aid kit

• We have access to a local sport therapist - if required.

Administration

• We have now have various social media accounts

• We have built this website.

• We have a designated email address.

Recruitment

• We created various social media recruitment posters

• We retained 16 players from last season

• We have signed 7 new players

Coaching

• We two assistant coaches

• We have access to a professional fitness coach.

• We have a structured coaching program.

Looking forward as technology evolves and our needs or demands changes., we can focus our attentions on a specific areas rather than the whole picture

In answer to Paul's question, we may not have the finance or resources available that professional or semi - professional clubs have, however there is no reason why we cannot take the approach of a professional club and making it work for us to the best we possibly can, within our own financial and physical limitations.