As part of our enhanced coverage of the Aberdeen and District Juvenile Football Association, The Press and Journal is featuring some of our local teams.
This week we chat to Cove Youth United FC under-18s head coach Kevan Blues, who hopes his side will be competing at the top end of the League A table in their final season of juvenile football.
Name: Kevan Blues
Position: Head coach
Team: Cove Youth United under-18s
League: Alba Gaskets ADJFA 18s League A
Home pitch: Balmoral Stadium and Lochside Academy
Kit colours: Blue
How have you started this season?
We have only played one game so far – it was a 7-1 win against Banchory Boys. It’s a good, comfortable start, and something we can build on.
How did last season go?
Last season was disappointing. It was a bit of a stop-start season for us. We had a lot of injuries, players missing and games postponed.
The season finished pretty early so it proved difficult to hold on to some of our players. Other clubs were circling for them because our season finished in March, which was far too early.
What are your expectations for this season?
The under-18s league is a bit of an unknown this season with teams withdrawing from the league and the A and B leagues being amalgamated.
We hope to be really successful. We’ve got a strong squad, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be at the top end of the table.
Where do you train?
We train once a week at Balmoral Stadium and once a week at Lochside Academy. The facilities that we’ve got are the best in the city.
It’s a testament to our committee that we’re able to make use of those places. There’s a lot of teams to sort out, but the facilities that we have are just fantastic.
The astroturf pitches mean the boys are getting to train all year round. Training is where the boys hone their skills so it’s great.
Tell us a bit about the players in your squad…
We’ve got quite a lot of boys who play development football as well, with Highland League and amateur clubs.
Some of the lads in the team have been here since 7-a-side. Lewis Johnston, Lennon Hay and Jake Blues have been with us all the way through.
The bulk of the squad has been with us for three or four years, and then we’ve taken in another four or five players for this season. It’s a strong, talented squad.
Do you think the players will carrying on playing after juvenile football?
This year will be the last season for them here at Cove, so our ambition is to make sure the lads go on and play at a decent level when they leave us.
The hope is that because some of them are attached to Highland League or Junior clubs that there will be an opportunity for them there.
We’ve got strong ties with some amateur teams as well, so hopefully the boys will find somewhere to play should they want to at the end of this season.
How can we improve juvenile football to produce better young players?
There needs to be better organisation with the ADJFA. Last season, many teams finished in March while other districts were playing into June and July.
I’m sure every club feels the same way about it and things like Covid didn’t help. It’s so difficult to keep the boys interest in football going when they were only playing 12 league games a season.
When the boys get to 16, 17 or 18 years old other things start to come into their life, so it is difficult – but, from my point of view, to keep them interested you need to play more games.
This weekend’s reports will appear on the Press and Journal website at 5pm on Sunday.
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