CONCERNED officials in the Hutchison Vale Youth Football Club are going ahead with an exciting new initiative that will open a door of opportunity to late developers in the famous Edinburgh nursery club. During the close season, players in the current under-17, under-19 and under-21 age groups will continue to train and the club have arranged games with Scottish senior clubs with the objective of letting these clubs sign any of the Vale players. Leaders at Hutchison Vale have expressed concern that all the resources in Scottish football are currently being aimed at the younger groups and they now want to readdress the balance, giving late developers within the older age groups in the club the chance to step up to a higher level. Club leader, Tam Smith, explained the reasoning behind this new initiative, saying: “Boys playing in the club’s 17s, 19s, or 21s next season will have a select squad training once a fortnight. We have already arranged 10 matches for them against senior opposition ranging from SPL to third division. This will put the players to the forefront in terms of being spotted at their later stages and it also plugs a big gap in the scouting system that currently operates with the senior window in which almost all resources are put into the younger age groups. How will it work? If, for instance, a player impresses a senior club and the desire of the senior club is to sign him, then he will be released right away. It is a win, win situation for both the club and the player. It is an important part of the ethos within Hutchison Vale club that the goal is for us to try and get players playing at the highest standard possible and this comes before the winning of trophies etc. Long after the trophy win is forgotten, seeing players playing in the senior game for years to come is a much sweeter achievement!”

Further explaining the concerns felt among leaders at Hutchison Vale, Mr Smith, added: “It shows the club’s desire to put the players first over everything else and, hopefully, if it doesn’t work out for the players they can then play for our senior side which will start in 2007-2008 season. In a further move to benefit players at Hutchison Vale, all players aged 16 and above will be put through their coaching badges and that will help them in the future, if they see coaching as an option to playing!”

At the Hutchison Vale Kids School presentation this week, two former players who came through the ranks at the club based in Ford’s Road were the guests of honour. The two players who were given a hero’s welcome on their return to the Kids School in which they both started their respective careers at Hutchison Vale were Jonathan Brown (Hearts) and Paul Hanlon, currently the captain of the Hibs Under-17 Initiative team.