NEw Season, New Challenge

2022/23 is here.
This season the merger between GS United Football Club and Rozel Rovers Football Club comes to fruition.

For me personally I'm so proud of my workforce team at GS United.

Words are not enough to express how gracious and grateful I am to all the coaches, the back room staff, Committee Members, our parents, our players and other supporters of the 'GS United Way' who gave their time, their effort and their faith to my vision of how young people, not players - young PEOPLE should be treated and how we should nurture their life long love of sport and in particular, football.

I am also without doubt indebted to my incredible wife Jade who has put up with my coaching obsession for 20 years.

Always referring to football as 'the other woman' to her friends, without Jade's support, advice, understanding and her willingness to accept my nonsense at times, GS United Football Club would not have got off the ground, my UEFA B licence would never have been accomplished and potentially being recognised by being presented the Charlie Binet Award at the Jersey FA Award evening last season for outstanding contribution to youth football may not have happened.

The amazing growth and production line we have created for players and coaches developed at GS United ​ over the past 9 years has been fantastic.

​Our coaching aim is that each and every player should be better at the end of the season than when they started.

Starting with 9 minis players and 3 coaches, we have established ourselves as an inclusive, nurturing, educational club putting the interests of each and every individual player first where we have grown into a FA Charter Standard Development Football Club boasting 140 players (boys and girls) and introducing 18 brand new coaches to the game who remain active.

We have emphatically achieved what we set out to do.

So much so, the GS United beast has grown so big, we recognised that in order to us to get to the next level we need support off the field as well as on it.

Enter the historic Rozel Rovers Football Club. 

Having approached us several years ago to discuss a partnership, the past 18 months in particular the clubs relationship has blossomed, discussions have been frequent, and a vision and future for both parties has been developed.

The Rozel GS United Academy has been born with a real player pathway through to the senior game for youngsters being introduced from the age of 4 years old all the way through to open age football.

With the uniting of both clubs, Rozel have a fantastic infrastructure and number of people on the committee to help really move things on both on and off the field. This will allow me to step back from so much administration work and really get back to coaching more. 

Handing over the reigns of GS United was been a big decision to make, but it was a quick one as I believe it is the right one. The Rozel Rovers Workforce are very family orientated and have some real football people and expertise. 

We have appointed Gemma Ballantyne as Minis Co-Ordinator, Marco Da Silva as Juniors Co-Ordinator. We continue to have Club Welfare Officers Damon O'Driscoll and Clare Planner with us and recently at the Rozel Rovers AGM they plus Marco Da Silva, Ken Brawley and David Scott were also appointed to the Rozel Rovers Committee.

Having been relieved of most administration, for the season ahead I will be running the Reception and Year 1 minis group on Sunday mornings introducing the next generation of youngsters to the beautiful game.

Supporting the coming together of clubs, I will assist also Manager Ken Brawley with the Rozel Rovers Under 17's squad. A fresh challenge for both of us, meeting and working with new group of players who have been with Rozel Rovers for several years. Our remit is to prepare this group of players for a pathway into the First Team and senior football in the coming seasons.

And finally, my place within the Jersey FA Centre of Excellence remains. This season I will remain lead coach for U14 players laying the foundations for the 11 aside game and hopefully setting them in good stead to win the Star Trophy and Muratti's in the year ahead. 

Next up, introducing ourselves to the Rozel Rovers U17s squad on Monday 15th August at Rozel Rovers Club House starting at 6pm. 

Let the journey continue.