Camden Sports: Regent’s Park FC | West Ham Academy | Mark Phillips | John McCulloch | Pro-Academy

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Camden Sports - by STEVE BARNETT
Published: 11 June 2009

Regents’s Park FC head coach John McCulloch with the club’s other coaches and its young players who will link up with West Ham

It’s Hammer time for youth club

Young footballers to get coaching from Premier League West Ham in link-up

A TOP youth club made up of promising footballers from across Camden and Islington looks set for a bright future after agreeing an unprecedented new partnership with a Premier League side.
Coaches and players from Regent’s Park FC will be put through their paces every Saturday by West Ham Academy coach Mark Phillips.
As part of the Pro-Academy alliance, Phillips will introduce a series of new coaching techniques that he uses with his young players at the Upton Park-based club.
In return, Phillips will be given the chance to monitor all the young players, with the aim of inviting those that are good enough to join the West Ham youth academy.
John McCulloch, who set up Regent’s Park three years ago, said: “The club has just under 150 players and we are absolutely delighted that West Ham are willing to work with a community club.
“Many children can only dream about getting into an academy at a professional club. West Ham are giving the community something special by allowing our players the chance to experience what it would be like to train at a pro club.”
The partnership came about when head coach John was invited down to the Hammers’ Chadwell Heath training ground with three of his under-10s players.
One of the main factors that attracted West Ham was the fact that Regent’s Park FC is a community interest company, which means it qualifies as a non-profit making company that continues to provide benefits for the surrounding communities.
The coaches from both clubs got talking, and quickly decided that by joining forces they could offer youngsters the best of both worlds.
John explained: “When it comes to youth football, there are the youth academies at professional clubs and then there are the teams that play at grassroots level in their local leagues. There is no middle ground.
“By joining up with West Ham, we can keep the players all together and let them train in an environment that they are use to.
“Those players that are good enough stand a better chance of getting noticed, and the transition of joining a professional club isn’t so daunting.
“Meanwhile, the remaining players will continue to get the very best training, and will be given the chance to develop their skills to the very best of their own abilities.
“Nobody will get left out, and that is what being a community club is all about.”
Regent’s Park have now set up a senior men’s team to run alongside their youth sides, and are on the lookout for new players. Anyone interested should contact John McCulloch on 07813 957 187 for further information.

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