An innovative partnership involving Garioch Sports Trust, Inverurie Locos and the Aberdeen FC Community Trust has resulted in the appointment of a new community coach based in Inverurie.

AFCCT employee Stephen Boddie, who will be based at the Garioch Sports Centre, is tasked with the responsibility of increasing both the quantity and quality of football in the town and is relishing the challenges ahead. “One of my initial tasks will be to create a full player pathway with all the clubs in the area and work with them to feed into the Locos, as the senior club in the vicinity.

“I’ll also be looking to raise the profile of Garioch Sports Centre which, in turn, will get more people utilising the facilities, which of course are not just football.”

AFCCT Senior Community Coach Steven Sweeney added. “We’re really excited about Stephen’s appointment which, if it is as successful as we are confident it will be, is one that could be repeated in other areas. Stephen will be looking to engage with groups that are perhaps harder to reach as well as assisting Inverurie Locos to widen their community engagement and in essence, replicate the work the Trust undertakes here in Aberdeen.”

Kevin Bonarius, General Co-Manager at GSC said “This is a community role that we have been considering and planning for some time now. Stephen's appointment in partnership with AFC Community Trust and ILWFC, is a first for Inverurie and is an exciting one for us and the wider community”.

An RGU Sport and Exercise Science graduate, Stephen, who lives in Oldmeldrum, has been involved as a community coach at Pittodrie since 2010.

Back Row left to right: Trevor Hart (Chairman of Garioch Community Sports Hub), Mike Macaulay (Vice-Chairman of Inverurie Loco Works FC), Steven Sweeney (Senior Community Coach, AFC Community Trust), Kevin Bonarius (General Co-Manager, Garioch Sports Centre), Eddie Innes (Chairman of Inverurie Loco Works FC), Alan Still (Inverurie Sports Development Partnership)

Front Row: Harlaw the Bear (Inverurie Loco Works FC Mascot), Stephen Boddie (Community Coach), Donny the Sheep (AFCCT Mascot), Garioch (Garioch Sports Centre Mascot)