The Aberdeen FC Youth Academy Awards, sponsored by Amplus, were held last night (Monday 27th May) at Pittodrie as players, staff and parents looked back on a successful year for the young Dons. Every player from U10-U16 was presented with a certificate and a medal while individual awards were also handed out for each age group. U18 league winners Alfie Stewart, Findlay Marshall and Alfie Bavidge were also in attendance to present the award winners with their accolades.

Youth Academy Director Stuart Glennie spoke to event host Rob Maclean for RedTV to reflect on the campaign.

“We have had a successful year in terms of the trophies we have won but it is not all about that, it is the way that we do it. We could go and win a tournament next year but not play the way that I want an Aberdeen team to play like, and I won’t deem that a success. Every bit of silverware that we have won is the way that we want to play football and we want our players to develop. That will always be the fundamentals. When you get to the older age groups, and you heard Cooper Masson talking about it there, coming through the Academy, players that they have played with since they were seven/eight years old, from them to come right through the Academy and win those things at the end at U16 and U18 level is great. We realise that part but it will always be fundamentally about developing players.

“There has been a lot of great work done in the Academy throughout the years with the likes of Neil Simpson and Gavin Levey who have done a great job. There is a great structure here at the club. We now have to look at things, we have developed things with our curriculum and our game model and a little bit more focus on individual development. There is a lot of great staff here, part-time staff who are really dedicated and have a real affinity to Aberdeen Football Club. That is great and that is why we have a great structure here.

“I have always highlighted that this is about players getting into our first team. I don’t want players leaving our club before they make that first team appearance and that has to be vital for us. We have had success with Jack Milne, Connor Barron and Fletcher Boyd recently but we want more. Across the whole of Scottish football we want more players playing because we have a lot of talented players across the whole of Scotland but at our club as well. The biggest thing for us is that relationship between us, the U18 and then going into the development team and then the first-team. We want to do even better.

“With the new manager coming in, he has a track record of developing players which I am excited about. There has been a real exciting end to the season for the Academy and I think that was an extension for us with it being an exciting end to the season for the first-team with the way that they played and Peter Leven taking the team forward and playing football the way that we want to play football within our Academy. That relationship and joined up thinking is vital.”

The Winners

Neale Cooper Awards

U10 – Hudson Aitken
U11 – Leo Ferguson
U12 – Jack Kidd
U13 – Tom Ferguson
U14 – Ethan Thomson
U15 – Bradley Chikomo
U16 – Cooper Masson

Goal of Season – James Jarvie (U14 v Chelsea F.C.)

Congratulations to all the winners and everyone in the Academy for another exciting season and to those involved in the planning and delivery of the Awards Night. Thank you as well to our sponsors for their continued support of the Youth Academy:

Texo – Official Club and Youth Academy Sponsors.

Amplus – Key partner of the Club since 2014, Amplus Energy Services Ltd increased their level of engagement to become Official Supporters of the Youth Academy in 2021.

Katoni Engineering – Annual sponsor of the Katoni Cup.

RAM Tubulars – In their second year of supporting the Youth Academy in becoming ‘The Best Developer of Talent in Scotland’ and also the Craig Brown tournament.

ESWL, Fowler McKenzie, Central Coaches and Cala – Supported our first ever Craig Brown Memorial Tournament.

Click here to watch a full round-up of the night on RedTV and to hear from Academy Director Stuart Glennie.