Major success for Queen's
The story behind our Da Vinci trip to the Algarve
THE youth development set-up at Queen's Park has been given a huge accolade with a successful application for funding from the Da Vinci Initiative. And as a result, a party of around 30 young players, coaches and backroom staff will now be heading for the Algarve early in January.
They'll travel to Portugal to take part in a two-week training camp which will also include cultural and educational aspects. It's a wonderful opportunity for the young players - and their coaches - and follows some painstaking work behind the scenes to get the finance approved.
The Da Vinci Initiative is funded by the European Union and administered on its behalf in Scotland by the SFA. It offers financial support to teams who have demonstrated a commitment to developing their young players - both as footballers and as individuals.
The very nature of the award means most of the recipients have been full-time professional squads, but the exceptional youth set-up at Queen's Park has allowed the club to make its successful pitch for inclusion this year.
The Initiative is funding places for 18 Queen's Park players and three coaching staff. However, the club is determined to maximise the opportunities offered by this grant, and is taking extra players and staff.
These additional places will need to be financed by Queen's Park, and a drive is already well under way to find around £7000 which will be needed to meet this commitment.
Most of the youngsters on the trip will be members of the 19s' squad, but a few younger players will also be going. In all, 20 players will enjoy the unique experience, as will seven coaching and backroom staff.
Queen's Park head coach Gardner Speirs was quick to praise the efforts of a number of individuals who helped secure the funding, and was optimistic about the potential benefits for the club.
Gardner said: "A lot of people have put in a lot of work to make sure this trip will go ahead. Even at the last-minute, the collapse of Globespan threatened the entire venture. However, such was the commitment of the SFA staff involved in the project - and the folk at Queen's Park - that successful alternative travel arrangements were quickly put in place.
"The efforts of those people give this group a wonderful opportunity to further their careers, either as players or coaches.
"A major thrust of the Da Vinci Initiative is its bid to accelerate transition from youth ranks to senior level - and that's something of vital importance to this club.
"I'm sure everybody who goes to Portugal will benefit from the experience. They'll train in marvellous facilities, and certainly in better weather than we're likely to 'enjoy' at that time of the year in Scotland. They'll also get to learn a bit more about the culture of Portugal, which can only help broaden their education.
"And while I'm sure the individuals will get a lot from the experience, I'm also confident that the club will reap a reward in years to come with more young players coming in to make their mark in the senior squad.
"Everybody at Queen's Park is proud of the club's amateur traditions - but this exercise demonstrates just how professional our set-up is. Getting this funding is a marvellous feather in our cap - and we should be grateful to all those who have helped bring it about."
» No holiday camp
 |
|---|
Our Next Game
|
SFL Div 3 |
P |
Pts |
| Albion Rovers | ||
| Annan Athletic | ||
| Arbroath | ||
| Berwick Rangers | ||
| Clyde | ||
| East Stirling | ||
| Elgin City | ||
| Montrose | ||
| QUEEN'S PARK | ||
| Stranraer |