For Dons Head of Youth Development Neil Simpson, the last few weeks have been particularly hectic but extremely rewarding as the Pittodrie age group squads prepared for the season ahead.
“It really has been a busy spell! First of all, we had a camp at the Barracks for the Under 17’s and Under 15’s, which was excellent, and then we had a trip to Oakham, which is near Leicester. This is probably the eighth year in a row we’ve gone there, where our Under 13’s, 14’s and some 15’s also went essentially to give the new boys’ game time and it was excellent.
“In terms of the opposition, we played Leicester, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Walsall, all good quality sides. The guy who runs it is Tom Steatham, who is a coach at Manchester United.
“The lads played eight games in three days, the facilities were first class and it’s a great way to get a bit of camaraderie with the coaches and the youngsters.”
Neil also believes the boys will benefit greatly from playing against teams they do not normally come up against.
“Definitely. It’s a real chance for them to test themselves against quality opposition and they performed very well. The under 13’s won all their games apart from one while the 14’s lost two, drew two and won the rest.
We had squads of eighteen and the important thing was making sure everyone had as much game time as possible.
“Next up was the St. Andrews tournament which is a one day event. The under 15’s went on the Friday, there were ten Scottish teams taking part and we emerged winners. Normally it’s development football you’re playing but this was a competition and the boys did really well. The next day was the turn of the 17’s and they won too!”
And, as Neil confirms, it does bode well for the future.
“It shows they’ve got a real determination and a will to win to complement their undoubted skill. On the third day it was the turn of the 13’s and they finished as runners-up to complete a successful weekend.”
The following day, on the Monday, accompanied by colleagues Gavin Levey and Mark Emslie, Neil set off to Newcastle with the under 15’s for matches against Middlesbrough that evening and Sunderland the following night.
“Again, the facilities were top class and the youngsters performed really well, losing 3-2 in the first game and winning 4-3 against Sunderland. It was a hectic three weeks but it was an important part of our preparations for the season, in particular assisting with the integration of the lads who have just joined us.”
Thank you to the following companies for helping with the trip: • Wayne Combe Roofing • Fugro • BroadSea ROV • George McKenzie • Sparrows Offshore • Klinger • Dean & Carolann Taxi Service • Freight Co. • PGS DN
