IAN FERGUS TO LEAD NEW DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

Falkirk Football Club is delighted to announce it has taken the latest step in its plan to create a new youth and talent development squad with the appointment of experienced youth coach Ian Fergus.

The new squad, which will be established this summer, will have Fergus at the helm as Head Coach of the Development Squad with the support of Falkirk’s Sporting Director, Gary Holt.  Initially operating on a part-time basis, the new squad is committed to recruiting promising young players from across Scotland in the 16–20-year-old age bracket.

A tailored and ambitious training schedule and games programme will be put in place, to give young players the opportunity to impress the coaching staff and to earn a full-time contract with Falkirk Football Club.

Ian Fergus is a double UEFA A Licensed Football Coach with extensive experience in elite pro youth and academy coaching across Scotland with the likes of Hibernian, Hamilton Academical, Hearts and Dunfermline Athletic.

He also has first team management experience as Manager of Selkirk FC in the Scottish Lowland Football League.

Ian has experience of working in the US at youth club level and High School coaching as well as delivering extensive private coaching clinics. He has also delivered coach education CPD programmes in Denmark for the Danish FA and delivered coaching programmes in Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Thailand, Canada, Turks & Caicos and across the UK.

In recent years he has visited Juventus, Inter Milan and Atalanta in Italy as well as most of the top academies in Scotland and England to further his own education and personal development.

Falkirk Chairman Gary Deans said:

“Facilitating the return of a new youth development programme has been one of the key strategic aims of our new Board and we are delighted to have been able to attract a coach of Ian’s calibre to lead our efforts.

“Falkirk has had an excellent reputation and track record for youth development and this latest appointment is an important step in building a new system that gives young and talented players a future pathway into the Falkirk first-team.”

Falkirk Sporting Director Gary Holt said:

“Since returning to the Club in January, I have been working closely with the Board to deliver on a number of key initiatives but chief among them has always been the return of a new youth development squad.

“What we’re building is a pragmatic programme that will give young players the opportunity to play and impress with a view to earning a contract with Falkirk Football Club.  I am absolutely delighted that Ian Fergus has agreed to lead the development squad.  I have known Ian for a number of years and it’s no exaggeration to say that I believe he is one of the finest youth development coaches in Scotland.

“We’ll spend the next few months and into the Summer recruiting a squad to take part in an exciting games programme, and this will include building links across the Forth Valley to give young players excellent coaching and a platform to show what they can do.  We’ll be looking for talented and hard-working young players who really want to commit themselves to earning a full-time contract and living the life of a professional footballer.”

Ian will speak to Falkirk TV later in the week to discuss his new role and plans for the future.