Westland Sports
Westland Sports
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1939
Westland Sports
W
FOOTBALL CLUB
He told us, “Westland Sports are the only other senior club
in Yeovil apart from Yeovil Town so the club has always been
at the forefront of local football. The club was formed in 1939
as part of the Social Club at the Westland Helicopter factory
in Yeovil.
The 1970s saw the club play in the Western League but the
collapse of the Social Club and the sale of the football ground
for housing left the club in a precarious position. We have now
stabilised at the Alvington Development Centre in the town
and play in the Dorset Premier League. As a local resident I
was originally asked to join the club as Reserve team manager
but have been secretary for nearly fifteen years now.”
The Role
“The most challenging aspects of running the club now are
the continuing increase in the rules and regulations you have to
adhere to by order of the FA or the leagues that you participate
in. Volunteers are the lifeblood of an amateur club but as these
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Youth
“Youth football has played an ever increasing role in the
club over recent years. Last year we co-opted a local youth
club, Lyde United, into our organisation and with the inclusion
of their teams we will now have teams from Under 7’s to
Under 18’s playing under the Westland Sports name as well as
our two adult teams. This is a big undertaking for the club as
facilities in the town are at a premium and we have a constant
struggle trying to find pitches for our teams to play on.”
Integration
estland Sports FC is a charter standard community club based in Yeovil,
Somerset and plays a vital role in their local community. Football Focus
Magazine recently caught up with their Secretary, Alan Lamont, to find out more about
the good work that they’ve been doing.
Involvement
The close season has gone very well for us with the
recruitment of a number of new players who will strengthen
both our first team and reserves. Our plans for the first team
are to try to improve on last year’s 5th place finish in the Dorset
Premier League. We would also like to improve on our cup
performances of last season when we exited at the first round
in both cups.
For the Reserves, who play in the Dorset Senior League, we
are looking for significant improvement as they finished 3rd
from bottom last season and just avoided relegation.”
people are now forced to have numerous qualifications and
attend training courses at significant cost, they are now hard
to recruit.
The constant battle to find funding to run a club like ours
is a real challenge. Costs to join leagues and affiliate to the FA,
costs for pitches and equipment, officials, insurance etc. is a
huge commitment and is a constant struggle for all amateur
clubs.
The most rewarding aspects for anyone like myself who
loves grassroots football is the sense of achievement when your
teams go out on Saturday and Sunday and acquit themselves
well. If the presentation of the teams, the facilities and the pitch
are well executed then there is a sense of achievement.”
Present
“The mood at the club I would describe as vibrant at the
moment. We have made changes over the summer, with
new coaches and new sponsors so there is a positive mood of
change at the club.
“When our young players reach the age of sixteen they are
integrated into the training programme for the Under 18s and
adult teams. In this way they get to know the older players and
pick up on the ethos of the club.
At Under 18 level they will then actually play on the first
team pitch so they really feel they are already part of the senior
teams bearing in mind that some of these youth players will
already be turning out for the reserves and hopefully the first
team.”
Community
“We would consider ourselves a community club providing
football for hundreds of kids in Yeovil. We do not select on
ability so no child is turned away, football is provided for all.
We rely on the local business community for their support in
sponsorship etc. so our club is deeply embedded in the local
community.”
Challenges
“The provision of facilities is a real problem going forward.
We are severely restricted at the Alvington Development
Centre due to the requirement of the local professional club so
we have to look elsewhere and as mentioned before there is a
real shortage of football facilities in Yeovil.
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The cost of hiring Astro pitches is prohibitive and these
quickly get booked up by profit making 5-a-side leagues.
Grass pitches are at a premium and what few there are are
badly maintained so trying to provide good facilities is a big
challenge.”
Ambitions
“Our ambition really would be to move the club up into
the Western League but we are unable to do this as we cannot
meet the ground grading requirements. Most of this is due to
building restrictions as the ground is next door to the airfield
so has to meet aviation safety requirements.
We would like to press on with our youth project and really
build that up to make Westland Sports the club of choice for all
local kids and parents. We can only do this by improving the
facilities we offer and ensuring the children are supported with
the best equipment and kit we can possibly provide.”
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