Thursday 12 October 2000
Kilmarnock Football Club has appointed the first ever women's and girls' football development officer attached to a professional football club, it was announced today.
Donna Cheyne, who has an Ayrshire-wide remit, has been appointed to this brand new post which has been funded jointly by sportscotland, the Scottish Football Association, East Ayrshire Council, North Ayrshire Leisure and Kilmarnock Football Club.
The Kilmarnock side was also the first Club to form a Ladies' Football Team, and Club secretary Kevin Collins is delighted with this latest development, commenting: "We want football to be the most popular participant and spectator sport in Ayrshire for girls and women. In Donna we have a capable and enthusiastic person whom we are confident will achieve this goal."
Ian Robson, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said: "Football is not only one of the most popular participation sports in Scotland but is also the fastest growing sport in popularity among young Scottish girls. So there is a lot of potential for the women's game to develop over the coming years.
"This new post is part of over 500,000 pounds already committed by sportscotland towards the development of women's football over the next four years.
"From Junior level through the appointment of National and Regional youth development officers to work with up-and-coming young talent, to supporting the women's National side and their coach, Vera Pauw, through the Lottery Fund, sportscotland is helping to smooth the pathway from participation to excellence."
National Coach and Technical Director Vera Pauw commented: "The SFA is delighted that Kilmarnock FC have become the first senior Club in Scotland to have a Football Development Officer specifically for girls and women's football. It is a very forward thinking appointment and an essential part of the development plan for girls and women's football that aims to create links between football activities and clubs. It is our aim, in conjunction with Donna, to build on this foundation and we hope that the example set by Donna's appointment will become a blueprint for other areas."
- sportscotland is contributing 24,000 pounds over the next 3-4 years towards the appointment of Donna Cheyne, while sportscotland's National Centre, Inverclyde, has agreed to make an in-kind contribution of 1,000 pounds per year.
- As well as employing a girls/womens football National youth sport coordinator, sportscotland is working in partnership with the SFA and local authorities to set up a network of girls/womens football development officers. sportscotland will invest 96,000 pounds in these posts over the next 3 years.
- Since the Lottery Fund began, sportscotland has invested almost 400,000 pounds of Lottery money in the development of women's football.
- sportscotland provides finance for the structure of girls'/women's football within the SFA with a commitment of 192,000 pounds over four years.