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Exclusive by Jonathan Mitchell
Warren Hawke believes he has laid the foundations for his proposed elite Greenock Morton youth academy by agreeing a link-up with a renowned local youth football organisation.
First Touch, which was founded in 2003 by local coaches John McClurg, Des McCole and Billy Clark, deliver skills-based coaching to develop budding footballers from age six through to age 12.
Graduates of their system have gone on to sign for the likes of Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Celtic and Rangers, including Ryan Sinnamon, who currently plays with the Ibrox club and represents Scotland at under-16 level.
However, the arrangement put in place earlier this week will now provide a seamless pathway for players to move from the First Touch set-up into Morton’s youth academy.
And newly appointed consultant for club development is thrilled that the First Touch coaches were keen to form a relationship – as he viewed securing their involvement as an absolute priority.
Hawke told the Tele: “Everyone in the west coast of Scotland, and beyond, knows First Touch’s reputation.
“Their philosophy and emphasis on quality coaching is second to none, and they operate at such a level that they’re on par with the best pro-youth set-ups in the country at these age levels.
“The talent John, Des and all the coaches there have produced speaks for itself, and we at Morton were keen to tap into that while offering a tangible route into professional football in return.
“I approached my former Morton team-mate Craig McPherson, who has always spoken very highly of their ethos, about four weeks ago and asked him to introduce me.
“Discussions have taken place over the past 10 days, one initial meeting with a select group and second meeting with all the First Touch coaches, which concluded with an agreement being reached.
“At this early stage, there will be a general informal understanding – with scope for a more formal agreement in future years – in which we will work together to ensure seamless progression of talent from First Touch into Morton’s youth academy.
“Morton has, over the years, lost many players who have decided to sign with other clubs. These individuals and their parents didn’t have a choice at the time as the standard of coaching was higher outwith the local area.
“But we are now offering a commitment to ensure that talented local players have the opportunity to develop to the highest level on their own doorstep.
“And although there will be boys with First Touch who will still choose to sign with the likes of Rangers or Celtic, this relationship will give us access to the players and a platform to assist them and their parents in making an informed decision on where they want to continue their football.
“I fully believe that each year approximately 40 to 60 percent of our squad will come from First Touch. Then it’s up to our scouting network and relationships with other boys’ clubs to kick in.
“When building a house you don’t add the roof tiles first, strong foundations of any project are the priority – and I see First Touch as the cornerstone in creating a youth academy Inverclyde can be proud of.”
The tie-in has also been welcomed by First Touch co-founder McClurg, 54, who spent a campaign with the Cappielow club as a player in season 1984-85.
But while he and the organisation’s coaches feel privileged to have been invited to be a part of Hawke’s plans, he insists the kids were the main motivation as he believes the arrangement affords them ideal conditions for advancement, both inside and outside of the game.
Mr McClurg said: “We were delighted to be approached by Morton, and the plans, outlined by Warren Hawke, Crawford Rae and Mick Rankin, fitted perfectly the vision that we had held for many years of a local progression route to a senior professional football club.
“It was obvious that Warren had put many hours of thought and preparation into the plans for the youth academy and, more importantly, had received the backing of the directors of the club.
“His enthusiasm for the project convinced all of the coaches that he would try his utmost to deliver the plans outlined. We at First Touch feel privileged to have been invited to be part of these plans.
“The benefits of a local youth academy, for both Morton and the local community, can’t be overstated.
“The years at which a young footballer develops his talents are also the ages that are critically important in terms of education. We have always believed that a partnership between education and football coaching will bring out the best in the young person.
“Having a local academy in Inverclyde will save many unnecessary hours spent travelling to clubs outwith the area, allowing more time to be spent at home on schoolwork. There are also huge potential savings to parents, in terms of time and expenses on travelling.
“This new link to the Greenock Morton Youth Academy should encourage boys at all levels of First Touch to make the best of their talents, and highlight to parents the benefit of a link to the local club.”
Pictures courtesy of Kenny Ramsay
