22
Girls basketball
is booming at
Kool Kats
Vow to make
youth footy fest
bigger and better
THE FOUNDER of the prestigious
Edinburgh Cup has vowed to make the
annual international youth football festival
even bigger and better on the back of a
potential increase in City of Edinburgh
Council support.
The agenda for the last Council meeting
of 2023 contained an item from Labour
councillor Margaret Graham hailing the
success of this year’s tournament “which
attracted over 10,000 attendees around
the world including the US, Norway
and India”.
There was reference to possible
assistance being given by council officials
to a project with the SFA “with the aim of
providing referee training as well as
enhancing other skills including
communication, decision making,
confidence, empathy, patience and
leadership.”
Concluding her call Ms Graham
“Further requests that the Lord Provost
celebrate this achievement in an
appropriate manner.”NEW YEAR ANNOUNCEMENT
It is understood a formal announcement
will be made in the New Year with regard
to the referee training aspect.
Scott Gibson, Operations and Events
Director for the Edinburgh Cup as well as
the tournament founder of an event which
is being held from August 2-4, largely at
Peffermill Recreation Ground, said: “Any
support would be welcome. A lot of work
has to go into creating what is more than a
football event as we want visitors to
experience the vibe across the whole of
Edinburgh during their stay.”
Mr Gibson said he expects to meet
with Council leader Cammy Day in
January: “This will be to find ways to
support non-European teams with
visa applications.”
With eight months until the kick off
there are applications from Canada,
Ethiopia, Madagascar and an African
project team as well as regular attendees.
Aware that not all will be able to afford
Edinburgh accommodation and certainly
not at Festival time, efforts are being made
to partner with a local farmer to provide
50-60 tents to house visitors.
Gibson also believes that to fulfil the
aim of expanding to become the
equivalent of Sweden’s Gothia Cup - one of
the biggest youth football tournaments in
the world - extra pitches are needed.THE VOICE OF SPORT
Making a big challenge
[email protected]EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY Football Club
have entered a long term sponsorship agreement
with management consultancy firm Alba
Partners which will assist in the development
and growth of its Performance Football
Programme.
The announcement follows the company’s
recent decision to base its global headquarters in
Edinburgh as part of a major expansion which
will see the recruitment of 20 consultants over
the next 18 months amidst claims of being the
go-to change and transformation partner for the
private and public sectors in Scotland.
Stewart MacKinnon, chairman of Edinburgh
University FC, said:
“Alba Partners is providing crucial support toour club as we strive to develop and grow the
Performance Football Programme.
“Although we have access to some of the finest
sporting facilities in the world and incredible
strength and conditioning expertise at the
University, the football programme at EUAFC
is substantially funded by sponsorships
and donations from supporters, staff, and
former players.
“Our club is one of the Scottish Lowland
League’s underdogs, seeking to overcome the
odds every week in a massively competitive
division. Nevertheless, we hope students, young
players, and senior clubs across Scotland
recognise EUAFC’s relentless focus on player
growth and development and we are hugelygrateful to Alba Partners for their support which
will help us level the playing field going forward.”
Richard Jacobs, Alba Partners Managing
Director, said: “Following the decision to locate
Alba Partners global headquarters in our native
Scotland, we have been exploring ways in which
to support organisations that share our ethos of
ambition, hard work and developing people to
perform at the highest level of their abilities.
“As a small firm looking to challenge the big
consultancies, Alba Partners is a natural
long-term partner for EUAFC and it’s a great
privilege to support them. I’m confident that
both of our respective ‘teams’ will be improving
performance and achieving success in the
coming years.”Edinburgh University Football Club agrees sponsorship deal with firm
Stewart Attwood
Richard Jacobs of ALBA (left) with
team manager, Sean McAuleyGIRLS BASKETBALL is
booming at Edinburgh
Kool Kats where a
recently formed
under-12 team now has
31 players from P5-P7
on the rota.
The team are coachedat Holyrood HS by
Broughton HS PE
teacher Sarah Thomas
along with adult
volunteer Claire
Patterson with input
from Kool Kats coach
Mhari Campbell who iskeen to give credit to
her two associates.
Mhari says: "My
involvement is largely
through the junior
WNBA competitions I set
up for the girls to play in.
"How good a jobSarah and Claire are
doing organising such
numbers. If these girls
stick at it we will be
looking at a very strong
under-16 team in 2026
and under-18's two
years later."