Lee Ashforth

Senior Football Development Officer

UEFA B/ Level 3 Qualified

Level 2 Goalkeeping

Coaching Disabled/Blind Footballers

Age Appropriate Module One

Lee Ashforth ia a UEFA B qaulified football coach and as well as coaching is playing as a semi-professional at Unibond North team Ossett Albion. Lee has used his experience to develop Shay Stadium Community Football and offers coaching across schools, holiday clubs and local teams. Lee also coaches at the West Riding County FA. He coaches the Under 16 representitive teams Goalkeepers.

Lee started his career as a Teaching Assistant at a special school in Bradford. His role was to engage the diasabled children and ensure that they had the opportunity to play football. He also coached at Halifax Town U14's centre of excellence team. 

Lee then developed and coached a Brazilian Soccer School in Calderdale. It was here that he gained his experience in coaching children aged 6-11. Holiday Clubs and School sessions were offered and within two years Brazilian Soccer Schools was the only football Holiday Course available in Calderdale.

Lee was then approached by then current Halifax Town chairman, Geoff Ralph to start a community scheme at the club. Due to the clubs financial issues, Lee made Shay Stadium Community Football a stand-alone business where all monies are put back into the coaching. SSCF is seperate from the football club and stands by itself. SSCF is now once again, the only football offered scheme in Calderdale.

It is Lee's long-term plan that SSCF is built to the same level as local Football in the Community Schemes like Huddersfield, Burnley and Bradford who employ up to 10 members of staff and offer a wide range of activities.  

Nick Walker

Football Development Officer

Level 2 Qualified

FA Youth Award (Age Appropriate) Module Two

Nick has been coaching for nearly 10 years and in that time he has had many varied jobs/roles within football. Despite a short and rather bleak playing career Nick has tried to pass his enthusiasm for the game onto others.

Starting back in 2000 Nick took on the responsibility of coaching the U8 football team at Greetland Goldstars. He remained as the U8 coach for the following season but has since followed that team up through the age groups and is currently the U15 coach. Whilst working though the seasons Nick gained his Level 1 & Level 2 coaching awards. Primarily to aide the players improvement but it also gave him the opportunity to work outside the club on a number of occasions.

His first break into football coaching came courtesy of a trip to California where he spent the summer of '04 at a 'soccer camp' assisting the head coaches in delivering their sessions. When he returned there wasn't much demand for football coaches so he went out to Australia. Working for Football West and Balcatta FC to deliver football sessions in schools, to all the 'roo-ball' teams (mini-soccer to us), to children attending school holiday courses and to work with other coaches to improcve their knowledge and their session preparation.

In early '06 Nick started with the 'Brazilian Soccer' franchise in Halifax, working in primary schools, running a successful Saturday morning club and a very successful school holiday course.

When Lee started with Halifax Town CFI, Nick moved across with him and they have both worked hard to establish SSCF as an organisation that everyone can access to provide football sessions/courses.

 

Damian Hopkins

Community Football Coach

Level 2 Football Qualified

Damian has represented Wales Natianal Team from Schoolboys to Under 19 level. He began his for Manchester United Academy and has played alongside Johnny Evans, Frazier Campbell and Darren Gibson who have all recently broken into the first team. Damian left to sign for Bradford City on a professional contract and was at Bradford for 3 years playing regular reserve team fooball. It was here that Damian discovered his love for coaching and began his coaching badges and coached several Bradford academy teams.

Damian still plays semi-professional football and has joined Shay Stadium Community Football on an initial 12 month full-time contract. It is Damians aim to offer his coaching experience to the local schools, clubs and youth centres and continue to develop his personal experiences.  

 

Ben Fawkes

Coach

Level 1 Qualified
JSLA & CSLA

Ben is a level 1 qualified coach, he started his football career at Copley Utd where he played for 7 years, He then moved on to Warley Rangers where he played football for 3 years, He's now in his second season at AFC Halifax the FC Halifax Supporters Team.  
Ben started his coaching career a couple of years ago when he started coaching/managing Warley Town primary school football team, since then he has taken over managing Greetland Stars U7's football team and is looking to continue to manage that team through the ages and he's also taking over the Sowerby Bridge High School year 7 team.  
Ben is currently studying at Sowerby Bridge High School sixth form and is looking to progress his education further by going to Leeds Metropolitan University and studying sports teaching with the view of becoming a PE Teacher, He would then like to go abroad and coach football in Austrailia and Africa.  
Ben Started working for SSCF over two years ago via work experience, Since then he has helped Nick and Lee at the holiday courses and at schools. SSCF have placed Ben on several football coaching courses,and are helping him to progress through his badges and age appropriate courses.

 

 

Jack Walsh

Holiday Course Coach

Football Free-styler

Jack started with SSCF in the summer of 2008 and has been an ever-present at the school holiday courses at the Shay ever since. He has also worked in a couple of our schools assisting the coaches to deliver after-school clubs. He is currently completing his JSLA award.

Jack played junior football for Sowerby Bridge at U12, U13 & U14 level before joing Greetland Goldstars. He currently plays in the U15 team as well as playing regularly for his school team.

Jack is our resident free-styler and he excels on the last day of the holiday course when we test the player's keepy-uppy skills. After all the players have set a high-score Jack then tries to beat it. His current high score is 1427 !

 

Jonny Bramley

Holiday Course Coach

Level 1 Qualified

JSLA

Jonny returns to the SSCF team just as we gear up for the 2009 summer holidays.

He has just completed his JSLA award and also his Level 1 coaching football. As a junior he played for St. Columba's and Warley Rangers. He is currently coaching the U7's at Greetland Goldstars and makes the occasional appearance for AFC Halifax.