Armadale

[nugget man]

2 minutes ago, pie n beans said:

Get an Astro at the volley and make that a base where everyone trains and play with the juniors taking priority lots of grants available.

if you can get the community thing up and running and get girls teams involved, it could work buts lots of red tape to get through.

Its not a bad idea but the juniors wanted to run the community club i'm told rather than a club run for all and not just one, such as broxburn and blackburn model. Juniors were guaranteed training and games on saturdays and chance to put forward people for umbrella committee. 

But to no avail.  Armadale gets little and its clear to see why!  As for football daleboy knows it all.......

Sure the juniors committee will appreciate him volunteering at the AGM to turn it around.  

[daleboy1969]

As one of the so called spivs that spends dozens of hours per week working to ensure the town of Armadale has a junior football club, I find it offensive to state the volley is a ruin, in actual fact it is probably the best pavilion in Armadale and far from the worse in junior football, recent memory serves me that the wood Park pavilion ( a superb modern changing facility)  was recently closed to renew the floors. A small band off volunteers work tirelessly in Armadale and to be constantly told the place should be demolished is a bit disheartening. if the people who volunteer services at the club were to actually turn up.and do the work the place may look a bit better,  as of the now it's Armadale only junior ground and that's how it will be for the foreseeable. Good idea pie n beans but doesn't fit into the only show in town idea rammed down everyone's throat. I used to be open minded but not anymore. 

[daleboy1969]

11 minutes ago, nugget man said:

Its not a bad idea but the juniors wanted to run the community club i'm told rather than a club run for all and not just one, such as broxburn and blackburn model. Juniors were guaranteed training and games on saturdays and chance to put forward people for umbrella committee. 

But to no avail.  Armadale gets little and its clear to see why!  As for football daleboy knows it all.......

Sure the juniors committee will appreciate him volunteering at the AGM to turn it around.  

This must have been before my time and I'm five years on the committee. Never heard of any these suggestions and I attend every meeting off the Club. Anyway another post made up to hijack the agenda. Put it on the community club section of pie and bovril. 

[nugget man]

11 minutes ago, daleboy1969 said:

This must have been before my time and I'm five years on the committee. Never heard of any these suggestions and I attend every meeting off the Club. Anyway another post made up to hijack the agenda. Put it on the community club section of pie and bovril. 

The whole issue is well known to the committee lets not kid anyone, volunteers are hard to find and most know the volley is looked after by just a small band.  Their dedication over the years has kept the club going. The town does deserve a strong sports/football club including a junior side.

 Everyone wants all teams in armadale to do well but if the juniors have a better idea for all football in the town then lets see their plans.  

The future needs conversation between all parties.  Failing that nothing may change.  

[Burnie_man]

Sad to see that the football clubs of Armadale seem to be miles away from pulling in the same direction.

[TheLad]

It all sounds ideal becoming part of a community club but its never worked for Bathgate.
Maybe the time is right now for everyone to come together and get things put into place, then the club can move forward while in the lower division.
if it can be done right and focus on a pathway to the first team ie juniors then its got to be a good thing for the whole of Armadale. 

Its not worked for Bathgate because they don't have the shared facility either. The Juniors have kept a safe distance from the rest of the Community Club. Have to throw themselves into it like Broxburn and Blackburn. In such a short space of time, Blackburn have seen instant success with their fantastic shared facility and I have no doubt the Juniors there will be surpassing Bathgate soon. Its no coincidence

[Vollyman]

18 hours ago, Daleboys forever said:

Aye but Armadale has the biggest community club in west Lothian with more than 500 kids on the books .supercommunity club .bigger than muireston and Blackburn .the dale should jump at the chance of giving up on the park they totally control and move into this modern masterpiece .gotta be big if it can house 500 kids and a junior club . Hearing the pensioners are giving up to a bunch off Middle Aged spivs .this will be good .canny wait ti hear aw the mince at the AGM .

I resent the ignorant comments about pensioners, the pensioners raise funds selling lottery tickets running race nights, bingo nights and various other fund raising. They maintain the volley prepare for match days and have kept the club going. Where are the younger generation ? Guys like yourself who think they are contributing by using social media to make negative comments about the committee.

[Daleboys forever]

9 hours ago, TheLad said:

 

Its not worked for Bathgate because they don't have the shared facility either. The Juniors have kept a safe distance from the rest of the Community Club. Have to throw themselves into it like Broxburn and Blackburn. In such a short space of time, Blackburn have seen instant success with their fantastic shared facility and I have no doubt the Juniors there will be surpassing Bathgate soon. Its no coincidence

 

The Blackburn manager taking ten years to build a team got nothing to do with THIS SEASONS succesfull runners up spot in the south league ( hardly the champions league) Bathgate have got themselves a great facility and playing surface without the interference of a community club .why do they need the hassle ?arguably a better facility than black burns .

[TheLad]

The Blackburn manager taking ten years to build a team got nothing to do with THIS SEASONS succesfull runners up spot in the south league ( hardly the champions league) Bathgate have got themselves a great facility and playing surface without the interference of a community club .why do they need the hassle ?arguably a better facility than black burns .

No its not the champions league but I would bet they are in a higher position this time next year than Bathgate (Dale obviously too) and attracting a bigger crowd than both.
You might think that the community clubs are a hassle but every wee kid that plays for the club is a potential customer , seeing the big team play on the same pitch they get to play on.
If those 500 kids are a hassle, then fair enough, do without.

[Legless]

No its not the champions league but I would bet they are in a higher position this time next year than Bathgate (Dale obviously too) and attracting a bigger crowd than both.
You might think that the community clubs are a hassle but every wee kid that plays for the club is a potential customer , seeing the big team play on the same pitch they get to play on.
If those 500 kids are a hassle, then fair enough, do without.

So tell me exactly what the community club did to get Blackburn promoted. What part did the youth teams play in signing players of the calibre of Donnelly and Young?

[Burnie_man]

16 minutes ago, Legless said:

So tell me exactly what the community club did to get Blackburn promoted. What part did the youth teams play in signing players of the calibre of Donnelly and Young?

 

This isn't our argument, but just as a small stat, in the last 150 or so competitive matches, Blackburn have fielded at least one player who came through the youth set-up. In some matches it's been as many as 4 or 5.

I don't think anyone suggests that you can field a full team of youth development players, and guys like Young and Donnelly in our example will always be around, but it's great to see young guys coming through and getting their chance.

Danny Campbell and James Mildren are both first picks in this season's team. Darren Mitchell, one of our goalies was the no.1 until injured. That's three who were starters this season who came through the ranks and who helped secure us promotion. Not bad for any team.
 

 

[TheLad]

So tell me exactly what the community club did to get Blackburn promoted. What part did the youth teams play in signing players of the calibre of Donnelly and Young?

If more kids go, more adults go. More money in, more money to spend. Better facility and better set up, better chance of a good player coming in. No community club, no facility.
I don't know the exact reasons players have chose to go there but its not rocket science to guess that a thriving, ambitious, community minded club is a good place to be at.
It might of course be a complete coincidence that the increasing revenue and being able to play decent football on a cracking surface has had anything to do with it

[Burnie_man]

On the matter of increased interest, at (Old) Murrayfield Park, we'd be lucky to have a crowd of 20 or 30 watching regardless of how well we were playing.  This season we averaged over 90 with 3 three figure crowds including over 200 for the Pumpherston game. That is unheard of for us unless you're playing Lithgae or Talbot.

Compared to the Dale when they're doing well it doesn't seem much, but it's cracking for us and the facilities have undoubtedly helped, and the "buy-in" from everyone else involved with the Community Club.  It's great to see some of the youth players and coaches coming to games (5 or 6 of our U19's came through to Dunbar to watch our "league decider"), likewise Junior players and the management team can be seen at some of our youth games.

Long way to go yet, but we're headed in the right direction.  Anyway, that was just to answer a few points raised above, good luck to Armadale whichever route they choose.

[Daleman]

Its sad that grown adults cant get round the table and discuss what is needed for the whole community of Armadale kids and Adults. The volunteer park is in need of updateing the guys who run the club have and are doing a great job of keeping the dale going but would it not be great to have a modern ground. You can leave the nets up etc less maintance and a greater support from the kids in the sports club. The broxburn idea gets used frequently and my own son plays there each friday at the cost of 2 pound per player 21 teams containing 5 to 7 players is good money. Blackburn have had i belive 1 player each year from the youth set up go on to be part of the juniors while the current manager also does the soccer school the dale are a long way off getting things right on and off the park. If the juniors are not happy with watson park idea then why not propose another plan ? Its clear that there is no point attending the agm as there is no clear pathway getting put in place for the benifit of both sides just a thought here what was the last home games takeings ie pay at the gate pies etc.i bet it was probally less than what broxburn took for a friday night boys playing 5s 

[Legless]

If more kids go, more adults go. More money in, more money to spend. Better facility and better set up, better chance of a good player coming in. No community club, no facility.

I don't know the exact reasons players have chose to go there but its not rocket science to guess that a thriving, ambitious, community minded club is a good place to be at.

It might of course be a complete coincidence that the increasing revenue and being able to play decent football on a cracking surface has had anything to do with it

If you ask players they prefer to play on grass.

I'm not saying community clubs are a bad thing but you're kidding on if you believe that was the reason for Blackburns promotion.

The ability to sign players of the calibre of Donnelly and Young is the big factor, did the community club pay for those guys?

Is the focus of the community club the juniors or the youth set up?

The juniors is not about local kids getting a game or every junior club would be packed full of local lads, the juniors just like the seniors is all about cash, hence the clubs with most cash are most successful.

Will community clubs give up cash to see the junior side prosper?

What does the community club exist for, it is not the same as the reason the junior club exists?

BTW I'm not against community clubs, what I have seen is them being used by junior clubs to obtain a licence for lucrative SFA comps.

[TheLad]

If you ask players they prefer to play on grass.
I'm not saying community clubs are a bad thing but you're kidding on if you believe that was the reason for Blackburns promotion.
The ability to sign players of the calibre of Donnelly and Young is the big factor, did the community club pay for those guys?
Is the focus of the community club the juniors or the youth set up?
The juniors is not about local kids getting a game or every junior club would be packed full of local lads, the juniors just like the seniors is all about cash, hence the clubs with most cash are most successful.
Will community clubs give up cash to see the junior side prosper?
What does the community club exist for, it is not the same as the reason the junior club exists?

I never said it was the reason for the promotion
The juniors is all about the cash?
The intention of the community clubs are to serve as some kind of focal point for the community.
What in your eyes, is the point of a junior team, or the reason it exists?

[Burnie_man]

14 minutes ago, Legless said:

If you ask players they prefer to play on grass.
I'm not saying community clubs are a bad thing but you're kidding on if you believe that was the reason for Blackburns promotion.
The ability to sign players of the calibre of Donnelly and Young is the big factor, did the community club pay for those guys?
Is the focus of the community club the juniors or the youth set up?
The juniors is not about local kids getting a game or every junior club would be packed full of local lads, the juniors just like the seniors is all about cash, hence the clubs with most cash are most successful.
Will community clubs give up cash to see the junior side prosper?
What does the community club exist for, it is not the same as the reason the junior club exists?

I can probably say with reasonable confidence that if the Juniors hadn't got involved with forming a CC, they would have folded, I was on the committee at the time and things weren't looking great, playing at an ageing ground and little interest.

There's no one single thing you can point the finger at and say that's the reason for our success this season, it's a whole host of things brought about by the whole set-up re-invigorating everyone involved and attracting new committee.   And no, any money spent by the Juniors is generated by the Juniors themselves.

[Daleman]

Football has changed and blackburn going up is due to a good group of players sure it helps if you can buy good players but also helps bringing players through. Money is no longer available to junior clubs the younger guys dont want to get involved with helping out and the older guys cant go on forever 

[Legless]

I never said it was the reason for the promotion
The juniors is all about the cash?
The intention of the community clubs are to serve as some kind of focal point for the community.
What in your eyes, is the point of a junior team, or the reason it exists?

Junior teams are in it for success, cash is spent on players the teams paying the most have the best players, it's a joke to say they are for the progression of local kids. Just look at where the best junior players from Armadale, Bathgate, Broxburn, Whitburn, etc play, they play at Linlithgow, Kelly, Bo'ness, Bonnyrigg, etc, they play where the most money is.

[Legless]

What is the priority for a community club, £1500 for a player to sign for the juniors or £1500 for one of the youth teams?