REDHALL STAR youth club have the local business community to thank as they prepare to enter two teams – at under-13 and under-14 levels – in the Lothian Buses leagues next season.
The two sides will play their home games at Clovenstone Park with changing facilities in the nearby Clovenstone Boxing Club. This new community youth football club in Wester Hailes will be making their debut in the South East Region Youth FA, having
previously played as Gorgie Hearts. Along with the under-13s and under-14s, Redhall Star have a coaching academy in Hailes Quarry Park, for under-eights and under-tens.
This is part of the build-up started by committed local enthusiast Bobby Collins just two years ago. With the help of councillor Ricky Henderson, facilities are being created in Hailes Quarry Park for the younger age groups to play Soccer Sevens games. Other local people have now come forward to help run the new youth set-up and the kids are also part of the overall Redhall Star football club, which includes an adult side promoted to the Premier Division of the Lothian & Edinburgh Amateur FA.
The adult side play their home games at Redhall Park and the club has a magnificent sponsor in Ian McDonald, who lives in the area and is committed to promoting football in the community. Last season, the club's Sunday amateur side mark their debut season in the Edinburgh and District Fair Play Sunday League by winning the title. Mr McDonald is a long-time sponsor and is responsible for maintenance of Redhall Park. The pavilion at the park in Longstone has also been upgraded by Mr McDonald.
The youngest groups in the Redhall Star set-up have also been supplied with new outfits for the start of the season by Mr McDonald. In the relatively short time the youth section has been in operation, other sponsors have been attracted due to the hard work put in by Bobby Collins.
The Gorgie Road branch of fast food giants McDonalds presented a new strip to last season's under-13 squad – and also treated all the kids and the club leaders to a free meal.
Redhall Star are very much a community club, based in their own community and run by local people. The progress over the past two years is the result of a lot of very hard work by Bobby Collins and several other local people.
Earlier in the year, Collins and fellow club coach Chris McArthur were guests at the Scottish Parliament to receive awards for their work from Volunteer Scotland.
REDHALL STAR under-13s are looking for pre-season friendlies. They are also on the lookout for more players, with team coach Scott Brown saying: "We are especially looking for two midfielders and a striker to work alongside another good striker, but we are open to all offers. If you are interested contact me on 07967149989"
The full article contains 495 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
