The Clitheroe FC Board met yesterday for its regular bi-monthly meeting, and in addition to its standing items, Simon Haworth, the first team manager, and Chris Worthington, the Footballing Academy Director from Darwen Aldridge Community Academy (DACA), attended to fine tune the arrangements for both organisations to work increasingly closely together. The meeting was very productive.

There are a number of aspects to the deal:

• Clitheroe FC will have full use of the DACA sports facilities for the first team. These include access to astro pitches, indoor gymnasium, physiotherapy suite, analysis rooms and so on. This will save the club over £2,500 pa and the resources freed up will go directly into the players’ budget;

• Clitheroe FC will have access to those DACA players who demonstrate the ability to progress. This is fully in line with many other Evo-Stik teams which operate Youth academies;

• Clitheroe management staff and players will be able to use and develop their coaching qualifications themselves at DACA;

• DACA will be able to use the Clitheroe FC brand name to affiliate their footballing academy, although no team fielded by DACA will play under the Clitheroe FC name.

In addition, given the dissolution of the existing Clitheroe FC Youth team after three successful seasons following a joint decision by the Board and those involved in the running of the team towards the end of last season, the club will now look to work more closely with Clitheroe Wolves. This could include exploring how it can support the proposed Clitheroe Wolves Under 18 team, with support from the first team coaches or via DACA.

Chair Anne Barker said:

“This was a very timely meeting both to fine tune the working arrangements between Clitheroe FC and DACA and to correct some of the more fanciful reports which have appeared in the press. It is a very exciting, multi faceted deal which offers key benefits, both financial and playing, to Clitheroe FC.

However, the Board is conscious that whilst the academy model is one which is being rolled out at this level nationwide, it does not want it to be seen as a barrier to local Clitheroe talent coming through the system. Clitheroe Wolves has been proposing an under 18 age group team for several months now, and we would like to explore with the Clitheroe Wolves set up how the club can work closely with them in this area. This would continue the very close links we have through the various Wolves’ teams proving mascots for the home games and reinforcing the youngsters’ links to their town team.”

Manager Simon Haworth said:

“As a semi-professional club, I am hugely excited by the opportunities offered by the link up with DACA. The benefits to the first team will be multiple. However, I am equally conscious of the club’s responsibility to the young people of Clitheroe and I will be working hard to ensure that opportunities will be found for encouraging young footballers, whether via Clitheroe Wolves or directly, to continue to strive to represent their home town.”

If you want to find out more about the partnership, the club's AGM will be held on Thursday 15th June, starting at 19:30 in the clubhouse, and everybody is welcome.