Manly United leads the way in youth development

Apart from its on-field success that sees the first grade, 20s, 16s and 13s in the finals series for the second year in succession and the club finish second on the Club Championship in 2008, the Northern Beaches outfit now has a fulltime football department of three highly qualified coaches.
Led by head coach Phil Moss, first grade players Richy Williams and Craig Midgley are now also based at Cromer Park on a full-time basis and run several community-based programs aimed at maximising brand awareness and continuing a fantastic player pathway that leads all the way from local under-6 grassroots to the A-League and abroad.
Williams, who has captained the first grade side for the past three seasons, will hang up the boots at the end of this finals series to concentrate on his coaching while Midgley will continue to combine both roles in 2009.
Among the programs Manly United offers – in an area where 17,000 players are registered under the Manly Warringah Football Association banner ? are after-school training, school holiday camps, Community Centres and Elite Training Academies.
The football department employs players from its first grade (men and women?s) sides, Grade 20 and older youth league sides to coach the programs under the watchful eyes of Moss, Williams and Midgley.
Moss said the bold move to have three full-time coaches employed at a semi-professional level was a credit to the Manly United and Manly-Warringah Football Association boards.
?This is an association and club that works well in unison and clearly has no desire to stand still and admire what they have achieved so far,? Moss said.
?Manly United has come along way in the past five years but what allows us to keep progressing is the fact that we are all here for the players ? from first grade to the kid in the local under-6s ? and we want to provide the best opportunities for them.
?It?s not all about the elite players either ? it gives us great satisfaction to help local club players improve their game so they are better players at their respective levels as well.?
With Moss having completed his FFA A-Licence earlier this year and Williams and Midgley halfway through theirs ? Part B of their A-Licence takes place at the AIS in Canberra early next year ? it is a highly qualified and highly motivated coaching department at Cromer Park.
The Elite Training Program sits above the other programs on the Manly United Player Pathway which also includes the MUFC After-School Initiative, Community Centres (both run during school term) and MUFC School Holiday camps (representative and local club).
?Richy and Craig are excellent development coaches in their own right and they have run similar programs when they played back in the UK,? Moss said.
?It?s always been my objective to build a football department at Manly that leads the way in the NSW TeleChoice Premier League and I think we are moving in the right direction.
?To have two current players at the coaching A-Licence level is rare and I want to make sure Manly utilizes that and in turn provides jobs for two very good, very motivated football people.
?It?s crucial we ensure our products are top shelf so we will never let quantity rule over quality but we are continually looking at ways to improve what we offer and how we deliver it.?
Manly United?s various programs also cater for players who narrowly miss selection in its NSW Premier Youth League sides (boys and girls) and the club is in its third year of the Lucas Neill Scholarship Scheme ? a unique initiative introduced by the current Socceroos skipper and ex-Manly United junior that allows for up to two players form the club?s under-14s-16s to travel to the UK for three weeks to train at Premier League clubs.
New Sydney FC signing Chris Payne, 17, was the inaugural winner of the scholarship two years ago and now looks set to make his A-League debut in this weekend?s opener against Melbourne Victory.
?We have sent Chris Payne and Simon Beer overseas so far through the scheme and neither let themselves or the club down,? Moss said.
?Lucas has always been very conscious of putting something back into the game and particularly the club that first gave him his chance. We are in the process now of finalising a potential winner or two this season.?
Manly United?s senior teams kickstart their finals campaign at Cromer Park this weekend with first grade taking on Sydney United on Friday night (7.45pm KO) and the Grade 20s meeting Marconi on Saturday (12.30pm KO).