Up close and personal
With Tommy Mcgregor
BSD Development Coach and 2004 PSA Assistant tour Coach.
Q. You toured with the PSA in 2004 as the tour assistant coach, The 2004 squad was made up predominantly of you’re under 14 Rochedale Rovers team. How do you think the squad competed?
A. The squad was very comptetive and adapted to the conditions very well.
Q. Your son Jamie was part of the squad what do you feel he got out of it personally?
A. An experience that will never be forgotten. The atmosphere of full-time football and to play against boys who live for the game is something that jamie and his team mates will never forget, they may not realise what sort of experience and opportunities they had right now but when they look back on it in years to come it will be something to remember, it will also make them better people
Q. From a coaching perspective what did you feel you learnt from the experience?
A. For me being able to see the professionalism, the setup of the trianing facilities and the standard of the boys we played against will help me when I continue in my coaching career within the local competition. To be able to bring some of the information back on how training sessions are conducted, games are played is invaluble for my experience. To see that the standard of our boys is not far away from the same age groups that we played against is a big eye opener, the only difference is that they live for it everyday.
Q. Tottenham Hotspurs were outstanding against the PSA what where your thoughts about that Spurs team and the match in general?
A. The tottenham boys were exceptional but they were the cream of the crop from the england elite, the boys were over awed in the first half, but the second half we held our own and probably a couple of days break from the previous game we would have given them a better game. Their communication and organisation skills aswell as their individual technique and strength was far superior to ours.
Q. What did you think of the Ipswich Town FC Academy and general set up?
A. The ipswich academy setup is SENSATIONAL for a team that is not in the english premier league is amazing. The fact that we had a run of the facilities and were welcome with open arms by everyone from the groundsmen to the chairman of ipswich fc is a credit to yourself steve and the relationship built up over the years. It is no small thing to let an overseas touring party into the inner sanctum of a full time professional English club and it is a credit to you.
Q. What was the funniest moment of the tour?
A. The funniest moment of the tour was when we went to watch the first game between Ipswich and West Ham at Upton Park, the crowd started to sing "Hands up if you hate millwall" and millwall weren’t even playing and even a dedicated supporter of Millwall e.g steve murray had to stand up and join in, whats that all about?
Q. What would you consider was the best overall performance by the squad?
A. Definitely the 2-1 win against norwich. They played boys the same age of them and the conditions were fairly cold but the boys were outstanding having gone ahead 2 nil to 2-1 the boys dug deep and played some very good football to hold onto the win, it showed a lot of character.
Q. "Gaffa" Morling put on a session at Peterborough United for the squad. What did you think of Peterborough United FC
A. It was a true salt of the earth, professional experience for the boys.
Q. The 2-1 win over Norwich City’s under 14 ‘s was interesting, in as much as the post match analysis with the players showed that they where beginning to think long and hard about their overall performance. Did you feel that you noticed a change in the players overall attitude during the tour.
A. The experience of the Norwich win really showed the boys what the pressure of playing against professional clubs like Norwich were, they gained confidence from that win but maybe a little to much too soon as this reflected in the performance against tottenham, overall the attitude of the boys towards football lifted considerably.
Q. As a parent of a child that toured, do you feel the tour lived up to expectations and was value for money?
A. The tour exceeded expectations and as far as value for money is concerned it also exceeded all expectations. I would highly recommend the tour to any parent that hasn’t sent their child overseas before. The way the boys looked after by the touring party and all associated with PSA was exceptional and is a credit to yourself and Jane.
Q. The tour included a visit to Old Trafford. You where captured on video running from the mini bus to the stadium. Jeff Haydon asked me recently if your heart rate has returned to normal yet? As we both feel you are not built for running any distance over 5 yards!
A. The experience of going to the theatre of dreams, the greatest football stadium in the world and the greatest club ever in the history of the game is an experience that my heart will never forget. It was a dream come true for myself, something that my father had always talked to me about and I was able to take my son and the other boys to. The fact that I was able to sprint the way I did shows what sort of emotion and life changing experience a visit to Man Utd can be. Besides the way that the boys played going to the theatre of dreams at Old Trafford is something I will never forget. Also I am now able to run the hundred metres is 12.5 seconds.
The Premier Soccer Academy would like to wish all the players who took part in the 2004 tour a successful and injury free 2005 season
SM