Global sports brand Nike have confirmed that Mousehole AFC will be the first club in Cornwall to achieve NIKE PARTNER CLUB STATUS, after extensive meetings to explore the club’s innovative plans to establish an Academy, as announced last week.

Jason Blunt, incoming Head of the new Academy, and the Elite Player Performance Programme, said:  “It’s extremely impressive for a worldwide ‘giant’ like Nike to develop a relationship with a football club at this level, but they can clearly see and are excited about the huge potential in the club’s plans.  I am absolutely delighted at this link-up.  It gives massive status to the Academy and will ensure the highest standards and provide a consistent identity throughout the club – for example, all Mousehole teams will play in the newly-designed Nike kit.  It also provides value and a real opportunity to the local sponsors of Mousehole AFC, who can leverage their own brands off the club’s association with the global prestigious Nike brand.  It’s a great way to get the Elite programme off the ground, with the trials coming up soon.”

Ben Kitlocker, representing the Nike Partnership, was enthusiastic about Mousehole AFC’s new partner status:  “Its an exciting and forward- thinking plan to integrate the Elite Player Performance Programme into their first team squad.”

The club has confirmed the next step for the Elite Player Performance Programme.  Trials will be held for 16-23 year olds on Saturday 1^st July, with further details announced on the Mousehole AFC website in due course.

The 12 successful participants will then receive Jason Blunt as their full time coach. The select 12 will have group performance training and multiple technical one-on-one coaching sessions each week focusing on performance, technique, nutrition, psychology and education, using the latest world-class technology, video and data analysis, sport science and footballing resources available to the club.

The club’s newly-declared policy is that 66% of the First team squad will come from the Elite group of 16-23 year olds.

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Mousehole AFC have announced that multi-qualified goalkeeping coach Matt George (pictured) has joined the new coaching set-up at the club.

Chairman Tim Richardson was full of enthusiasm for the new appointment:  “As evidence of the interest and excitement generated by our new Academy, we’ve been able to attract to the club a top-class goalkeeping coach in Matt George.  Matt has coaching experience in the Peninsula League and with county, regional and international representative youth teams.  He’s got a UEFA ‘B’ Coaching Licence and an FA Goalkeeping Coaching ‘B’ Licence, and is also a qualified FA Goalkeeping Coach Education Tutor and an England Schools FA under-18 Goalkeeping Coach.  He will coach across the whole of our new team structure, including EPPP, First team and right through to the 5-year olds.  We cannot think of a better person to carry out this role.”

Steve Parker-Billinge, Mousehole’s player-manager and First team goalkeeper, added:  “I’ve got first-hand experience of Matt’s coaching and I am one of many who regard him as undoubtedly the best goalkeeping coach in the region.”

42-year old George, who is also a sports lecturer at Penwith College, said:  “What particularly attracts me is Mousehole’s great vision for the future.  I’m delighted to be joining this exciting development project and playing a part in taking the club forward both on and off the pitch…..and I can’t wait to get started.”

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In a significant pioneering initiative, Mousehole AFC are to set up a world class long-term player development Academy and Elite Player Performance Programme, the first part of the club’s innovative and ambitious 5-year plan announced last week, and have moved quickly to pull off a major coup in appointing Jason Blunt (Leeds United) as full-time Head of the new Academy.

Newlyn-born Jason Blunt (pictured) is joining the Academy from Championship club Leeds United, where he has been a Premiership player and is currently under-23s manager, to lead the new Academy at Mousehole and implement a unique Elite Player, youth and development programme.

The Academy will have an Elite Player Performance Programme for players aged 16–23, together with a junior team structure from 5 to 16 years, and is an integral part of Mousehole AFC’s vision for longer-term sustainable success.  Under the club’s new footballing philosophy, 66% of The Seagulls’ First team squad will be Elite development players aged 16-23.  The principle underpinning the club’s ambition to progress up the leagues is to develop its own talent rather than to buy in short-term success.

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