Shrewsbury Town today held a press call to announce changes to the youth and community set-up at the club.
Ex Town defender David Hughes has taken over the role of Head of Youth Development and Martin James has joined the club as Community Development Manager. Dave Hughes will take temporary charge of the youth side while a replacement is sought.
The club wants to build on the good work of the Centre of Excellence and Community Sports Trust to ensure that we have the best structure within in Shropshire and beyond. The aim is to deliver football to young children through the Community Sports Trust and allow them to develop through development centres, then into the Centre of Excellence and Youth team.
Town manager Paul Simpson has been keen that the club should be looking to improve the development of young players through all youth levels: "It is something that we've been looking at since I came to the club 17 months ago and something I was keen that we addressed.
"I talked about wanting to make changes in the summer before last but wasn't able to do anything until this summer where we have brought David Hughes to oversee the Centre of Excellence and Football in the Community. The role is in more of an advisory one and to make sure that we maximise the youth department.
"We now have the situation where David Hughes is overseeing the youth and we have also brought Martin James in to take care of the link between our clubs and the schools and hopefully we can get as much out of this as is possible."
With David Hughes and Martin James on board the club will be looking to improve the youth structure from the youngest ages upwards. The work of the Community Sports Trust has to be the starting point to the development and identification of young players. The relationship with schools in the county also needs to improve to allow Shropshire youngsters the chance to develop through Shrewsbury Town: "This change around is not just focusing on the Centre of Excellence it's also looking at the Football in the Community. That has got to be our first port of call for getting young players into our football club. We need to be getting them from the local schools and then have the coaches who can develop them to hopefully bring them through so we have players who are able to come into our first team squad in time.
"We've got to get children playing football, and that's not just boys but girls as well, we need to get them playing as young as we can. We as a football club need to get out into the community and try to encourage that so that we can get youngsters involved in our club so that they are fans for many years to come.
"The players need to get out into the schools and into the community and hopefully Martin coming in will help to improve that link. We have to accept that we are not linked to enough schools in this area and the more we can get an association with the more likelihood is that they will ask us to go back.
"The players don't have a problem going in for question and answers sessions, autograph sessions or taking part in PE lessons. Over recent weeks we have address that and made sure the players are available to work with the Community Sports Trust to improve that. "
Since taking over the managerial hot seat at Shrewsbury Town Paul Simpson has looked to give youth a chance. The likes of Jasbir Singh, Andre Gray, and Harry Hooman have made the step up to the first team while just last week Will Richards, Jon Taylor and Danny Taylor were brought into the first team squad. He wants to continue to look to the youth side and believes the changes announced today will give him every chance to do that: "I believe we have to give those young players the chance, we are not in the position where we can have 25 senior pros and we need to get young players and develop them.
"This year we have a number of 1st year pros, we've got 2 or 3 others who are pushing from the youth team to join us and we need to encourage that and get the best possible out of those promising players.
"Will Richards was on the bench on Saturday and there were 3 of the youth side involved in the trip to Accrington last week. Hopefully Will will have had an encouragement and lift being involved on Saturday and it will be a big lift for all of the others to think that if they continue to do well and develop then they will get their chance.
"This is our football club so let's get everybody working together to encourage people to watch our games and to want their children to come and play for our Centre of Excellence teams. We know the likes of Wolves, Aston Villa, Birmingham, Stoke will take players but we shouldn't be losing them to those clubs or the likes of Port Vale, Wrexham, Hereford, Chester and Crewe. If there are good kids in this area them we should be encourage them to come to us and if our facilities are right them they should want to come to us."
Watch the full interview with Paul Simpson and David Hughes on ShrewsPlayer.
