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Life's grand for Layton Juniors
AND the winner is ...
Layton Juniors FC will soon be 1,000 better off as the first-prize winners of our AllStars/Barclays cash giveaway.
Two letters nominating the club convinced the Barclays judges that they are worthy of the star cash prize and will put it to excellent use.
But although the funds generously supplied by AllStars sponsors Barclays will be most welcome, the club has already made great strides forward without outside help thanks to sheer hard work and determination to serve its community.
Chairman/Under-11s manager Steve Prime came on board two years ago and secretary Andy McDonald last year, both sharing a goal to take the club forward.
There was a lot of work to be done, as a delighted McDonald told The Gazette.
"We had only 35 players and two teams (under-nines and under-10s). The team in the Blackpool and District Youth League (under-11s) had disbanded after losing too many players.
"Now that team is up and running again (managed by Steve) and we have 110 registered players in six teams (at each age level from under-sixes upwards).
One of their specific targets was to join the elite group of clubs awarded the FA Charter for overall good practice.
McDonald added: "We decided to move the club forward in a professional manner. We looked on the FA website and read all about the Charter, and decided to build the club around the standards it sets.
"The hard work paid off last month when we became the seventh team in Blackpool to gain the Charter.
"It show that the Lancashire FA recognise that we are doing everything right and now hopefully we will get more FA assistance to move the club forward."
For all the efforts of Andy and Steve, Layton Juniors is no two-man team.
They have a qualified coach at every age level working alongside a child welfare officer (Amanda Borrino), treasurer (Rachel McDonald, Andy's wife) and school liaison officer (Tracy Murray).
Two of the club's coaches have qualified at Level One standard: Tom Green and Rebecca Murray.
As Steve explained in his letter to AllStars (printed left), the Barclays grant will help to provide all the young players with a club rain-jacket to wear with pride for training and matchdays.
Andy McDonald adds: "Club gear is a bit like a school uniform and it can be a financial burden for parents, particularly if your family is not very wealthy.
"We have some children who are only with us for a short time, so it isn't fair to ask them to meet the full cost of a jacket.
"We prefer to ask parents to pay a deposit rather than the full price. That way we generate some money which stays within the club.
"The parents are behind what we are trying to do and give us great support. We have parents' representatives at each age group."
Steve Prime told The Gazette: "Our club had been floundering and we are still only finding our feet.
"We are focusing on Layton and highlighting the positives in the area, but there are a lot of volunteers at clubs all over the Fylde who are unsung heroes as well."
Any cash left over from their prize will help towards Andy and Steve's ultimate dream for Layton Juniors – to have a home of their own.
They currently share FC Rangers' Boundary Park, occasionally playing at Moor Park and Bispham High School, but their dream is to make their home at Kingscote Park, in the heart of their local community.
McDonald adds: "We have got involved with a group called The Friends of Kingscote Park with a view to playing there.
"We do some training there but it is boggy and it would cost around 60,000 to do the drainage work and prepare the pitches."
That's an awful lot for a club like Layton Juniors to collect from fundraising, though FA grants are available and the "Friends" are in close communication with the local authority.
And as Andy explains, its a dream worth chasing: "Ultimately we would love to have a community centre in the park, with pitches and great facilities.
"If the club could make its home there, it would help make the children proud of their park and their whole community."
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
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Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
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