UEFA Study Group in Scotland– Grassroots Football

From Monday 28th to Thursday 31st October 2013 a group of administrators and coaches from the Technical Centre and several nurseries  traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland to participate in another UEFA Study Group with Grassroots Football as the main theme. The tightly packed programme presented our participants with a cross section of grassroots activities being carried out in Scotland by its National Association through a system of Financing called Cash Back. They were also, shown around the premises of the two main Scottish Premier Division teams Hibernians FC and Heart of Midlothian FC. Later in the evening, they were present, at Easter Road, for a clash between the two teams in the Scottish Cup Quater Finals round. Besides these, they attended also for theoretical and practical sessions at two regional clubs, Spartans FC and Broxburn Utd plus a very interesting visit to St Augustine School of Sports.  The Study group included also participants from Iceland and Faroe Islands. All delegations presented power point presentations on Grassroots Activities in their respective countries and shared all experiences. As with other UEFA Study Groups,this was another good experience of best practices for our participants to bring over and disseminate in their nurseries.Fr. Hilary Tagliaferro, YFA Chairman, formed part of this coherent  group of participants hailing from all sectors of our Grassroots Football. Last September the Technical Centre participated also in a Study Group re Elite Football in Turkey. There too,the group was made up of Staff coaches and coaches from the nurseries.