Glasgow City reach new agreement with Head Coach
Glasgow City are delighted to have reached a new agreement with First Team Head Coach Eddie Wolecki Black.
On the back of coaching City to their sixth successive title in six seasons at the club, Eddie has agreed to remain in place as Head Coach for the foreseeable future.
Commenting on the agreement, Club Manager, Laura Montgomery said, “At the end of the season, the most important thing for us was to meet up with Eddie and reach a new agreement. We have worked extremely well over the years and it is a great partnership we have at the club off the field as well as matching our aims and objectives on it. At a time when we are looking to build on our recent success and achieve even more as a club, we feel there was no-one better placed to continue to help drive us forward. Eddie’s qualities speak for themselves, but we are particularly thrilled of his acceptance on to the UEFA Pro Licence course, the highest coaching standard possible, and a first we believe for any Scottish women’s side. This will only help in enhancing our club and indeed the women’s game in Scotland even further.”
Eddie himself expressed his delighted at the new agreement. He said, “The meeting about my future was always on the agenda and I prefer to wait until the end of the season and see if the players are still responding to me and my work. In truth the meeting was done and dusted within 2 hours. As a coach I need to work with ambitious people and there is no doubt the owners of this club meet that in every way. If I think back to where we were when I first became involved and where we are now, wow its staggering. The first team have continued to set high standards and the season just ended will live with me forever. To win every single domestic game was something I admit I thought was possible but required a little luck. However when the draws for the cups kept putting top 6 teams in our path I believed it was maybe not meant to be. Despite that we managed to accomplish the unthinkable.
“The youth set up has slowly but surely began to take root, the philosophy of this club seeps through the pores of every player, coach and staff member. I think people forget that so many players have come through our setup to make the first team. Emma Fernon, Jane Ross, Sue Lappin and Ruesha Littlejohn were just 16 year old kids when they first joined and this was before any teams had youth sides. A few years later Lisa Evans, Emma Mitchell, Lauren McMurchie, Lee Alexander and Eilish McSorley joined as 14 and 15 year olds. Every one of these players have become first team regulars.
“This shows that with the right development, young players can and will be given the opportunity to play for the first team. We currently have a group of young players who I believe if they continue to progress as they are at the moment then they will play for the first team. The youth coaching staff has taken on a number of changes over the past year and the stability is now in place for them to push on and try and develop more top level players. This is an important issue that we as a club must never stray from. As coaches they will be judged by who makes the first team not by how many Leagues or Cups they won at 13 or 14 years of age. To be honest by the time the player ends her teens who cares what she won as a child. This season we packed the Reserve side with 15,16 and 17 year olds, we filled the under 15 team with 13 year olds and the 13s played out the league season with an 11 year old team. This for me is development, players being tested outwith their comfort zone.
"Having watched many sessions this year and seen the quality of coaches and players we have there is no doubt the future is bright and I am delighted to be a part of it.”
Pictured: Laura (left), Eddie (middle) and Chairperson Carol Anne Stewart, (right) with the Premier League Trophy 2012. Picture by Andy Buist.
16.11.12
