Adelaide Comets to house SA academy of EPL club West Brom
WHAT started as a phone call and a catch up has led to Mile End-based Adelaide Comets becoming an SA academy for a leading English Premier League club.
WHAT started as a phone call and a catch up has led to Mile End-based Adelaide Comets becoming an SA academy for a leading English Premier League club.
West Bromwich Albion, which finished eighth in the EPL last season, will send a world renowned coaching team to Comets' junior base in the west Parklands next week to run clinics over three days.
The Baggies team will also train Comets' coaches in how to run the program used at their English academy.
West Brom plans to visit Adelaide annually for at least 10 years meaning the best local juniors can be tracked between the ages of seven and 17.
The deal was brokered by Comets technical director Doug Paterson, who hopes the partnership will give local juniors a pathway to professional soccer.
"This is just mind blowing really,'' Paterson said.
"We're talking about a club that has a turnover of Pound100 million a year.
"To have a UEFA A-licensed coach (Melvyn Wilkes), who is the technical director for West Brom's Centre of Excellence, come to our club is amazing."
Patterson received a phone call from an interstate friend informing him that West Brom was establishing an Australian academy and setting up bases in major cities.
He flew to Melbourne to meet officials from the club in February and the partnership was forged.
"I think they were impressed with the size of our junior base (300 players) and the fact we have a central location,'' Paterson said.
Comets, which is listed as a major partner on West Brom's website, will make the program open to players from other clubs across Adelaide.
Each year, the best 17-year-olds in the program will be given opportunities to train at West Brom's English academy.
"This is about providing opportunities for as many Adelaide kids as we can,'' Paterson said.
"We believe this partnership will give our kids another pathway to professional soccer."
West Brom will run coaching clinics at Comets' west Parklands junior base from July 15-17.
For more information visit adelaidecomets.com.au.