| Youth
A DREAM partnership between Dorking Football
Club and the Brockham Badgers youth setup has been confirmed.
It is hoped the coming together will build on the respective strengths of
both clubs to their mutual benefit.
Badgers chairman Hugh Cannon was delighted with the co-operation and hoped
it would further boost the Badgers' progress.
He said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for our youngsters to see how
senior clubs train and prepare. In addition our boys will be actively
encouraged to watch the senior games."
Dorking director and vice-chairman Ray Collins said: "We are delighted to be
actively pursuing co-operation with the Badgers and see it as a positive
commitment of our desire to be active in the local community."
Dorking's playing management team, led by Steve Lunn, are all fully
committed to the scheme.
Lunn said: "Having been part of the team that has discussed the idea and the
initial roll-out for next season, it will be great to help create a local
football thrillingmid and give kids something back in terms of football
knowledge."
With more than 240 boys playing from U7 to U16 level, Brockham Badgers are
one of the largest Mole Valley youth footballing set ups.
Dorking's first team play in the prestigious Ryman League, part of the
senior non league football pyramid which leads to the Conference and
eventually the professional football leagues.
The partnership is seen as advantageous to both clubs - from Dorking FC's
point of view, the link up gives Dorking an affiliation with an established
boys club.
The aim is to build a strong link between those boys and the senior side so
the teams identify with the senior football team.
On the back of Dorking's current kids U16 for free policy, (when accompanied
by a paying adult) which has been run successfully over a number of seasons
and is seen as a great way to boost attendance at Dorking first team
matches, Brockham Badgers teams will be offered junior memberships at
Dorking FC.
The club already sees a sizable attendance by children and their parents,
and this will further boost this community club spirit and help develop the
bond between the two clubs.
It is hoped this will help develop a pool of good local talent for Dorking's
first team in the future.
From Brockham Badgers' point of view, the link up will bring a number of
benefits. As well as giving the more able squad members something to aspire
to.
The link up will give each squad the chance to train alongside the Dorking
first team on a periodic basis and gain specific coaching and advice direct
from the club's football management team.
Brockham teams will be invited to these sessions at Meadowbank on a rotation
basis while continuing to use their own footballing coaches under the
supervision of Badgers' director of football Simon Coffey to run their
normal training sessions.
The link up will also seek to build on each club's development of local
girls football teams.
Dorking has helped pioneer the development of girls football in Mole Valley
and has setup Dorking Girls FC, catering for ages 9-16, to which new members
are very welcome. Dorking Girls secretary, Carol Howard, has worked hard
this year to organise the squads and is happy to hear from new members.
These teams train every Thursday at Dorking FC and will be entering a team
in the new Surrey County Girls League at U12 age group.
Brockham Badgers also have a girls section and Dorking will also be looking
to expand the colts section, who play at the U16-U18 age group on Sunday
mornings.
If they can achieve the necessary sponsorship, the club will re-activate the
Dorking Youth Southern Youth League floodlit midweek U18 team.
www.brockhambadgersfc.co.uk
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Girls football was set up at Dorking during 2003, with the aid of Active
Surrey, and is fully supported by Dorking Football Club.
Dorking Girls & Ladies FC will be running two teams in the coming 2006/2007
season.
The Junior team will be for girls under 13 years of age, and the Senior team
for girls under 16 years of age. We always looking to develop the sides with
a view to possibly forming more teams
The girls train at our Meadowbank ground every Thursday evening from 6pm to
7.15 PM and new members are always welcome, or you can just come along and
get a feel of what is involved. Girls of ALL ages are welcome to attend
training with a view to expand future teams.
Season 2005/06 saw both the girls teams doing well in their first season in
the Surrey County Girls League. You can keep up to date with all the results
via their Message Board on:-
http://dorkinggirlsfc.proboards56.com/index.cgi
The League results can be found on the SCGL site.
The girls also have their own web-site on http://dorking-girls-fc.piczo.com/?cr=4&rfm=y |