It is with great optimism and excitement that we can look to a bright future at County under the new ownership.
Our historic football club has strong foundations that provide a huge opportunity both on and off the pitch. We have a sleeping giant ready to be awoken and will strive to make sure we have an outstanding community club that plays football at the highest sustainable level.
The Football Education will play a pivotal role in this upward journey, ensuring we create a long-term sustainable model that provides young people with great opportunities to further their careers and personal development. To achieve this, we will focus on key areas including staff, players and environment.
From the achievement of this vision, we also seek to build state of the art facilities where the 1st team, Academy and Football Education train, play and learn in harmony, and where the opportunities for Academy and Football Education players are viewed daily.
Nine years later, the club is now back in the football league, and we operate both the Football Education & Academy programmes. Both are now well established with the Academy run by Academy Manager Damien Allen and Football Education run by Head of Football Michael Raynes and Head of Education Lucy Connell.
Player Programme
The SCFC Football Education delivers a full-time football and education player programme for talented young footballers aged 16-19 years who would like to study a full-time sports qualification: a BTEC Level 3 in Sport (equivalent to 3 A-levels). An additional pathway onto the Level 3 course will be launched in September: a BTEC Level 2 in Sports Industry Skills, running for 1 year and requiring 4 GCSE’s in any subject at grade 3 or above, leads into the BTEC Level 3 in Sport.
Young players train every day and represent SCFC in the National Youth Alliance U19 Academy division, H division, ECFA leagues, SCFC development league, and the JPL. Both football and education are delivered out of Stockport County FC new Football Education training site at Stockport Sports Village, which boasts state-of-the-art facilities.
The BTEC qualification allows the students to work towards a possible career in sport or go on to university to study degrees in sport science, physiotherapy, sport and business, teacher education, and sports coaching. There are further opportunities to go to University and play football in America or Spain through our network of sports recruitment companies. The football aspect of the course is delivered by an expert coaching team who develop and improve all players both on technical aspects and tactical awareness through the structured training and fixture programme.
Girls Player Programme
Stockport County Football Education now offer a new Player Pathway programme, allowing females the opportunity to play regular competitive football while working towards a BTEC Level 3 in Sport. The players will train every day at Stockport Sports Village, have access to state-of-the-art facilities and represent the club in competitive leagues and cups.
The BTEC programme will be equivalent to three A-Levels and will allow each student to move on to further education, should they wish. There are further opportunities to go to University and play football in America or Spain through our network of sports recruitment companies. Much like our existing player programme, the football aspect of the course is delivered by an expert coaching team who develop and improve all players both on technical aspects and tactical awareness through the structured training and fixture programme.
Sports Career Programme
Stockport County Football Education recognises that a performance pathway as a football player is not the only route for college students who have a desire to pursue a career in the sports industry.
Through our partnership with Stockport College, we are now delivering a range of Level 3 Sport courses that are tailored to a specific career pathway in sport. Each unique pathway will enable students to get first-hand experience in a variety of professional and academy environments to gain knowledge and expertise in the workplace and develop the relevant skills and attributes to prepare them for working in their chosen field.
There are five areas of expertise on offer for a selected number of applicants, these areas include: coaching, analysis, sports rehab, strength & conditioning and officiating. Staff who work in the different areas across Stockport County Football Club will support a high-quality enrichment programme that will be delivered alongside the Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport, which is equivalent to 3 A-Levels and allows progression on to industry specific university courses.
The Stockport County teaching staff will deliver the courses and co-ordinate all the different aspects of the programme, including a meaningful work experience placement each year!
