SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE club Cabinteely have introduced a new player development initiative which will see members of their U19 squad receive free Leaving Certificate grinds.
The First Division outfit have formed a partnership with a Dublin grinds company to give their players an opportunity ‘to reach their full potential’ by combining football and study.
Players will attend the classes at the ‘Dublin School of Grinds’ twice a week and focus on the subjects they need to pay particular attention to.
“The consensus within the club is that we want to be different from other League of Ireland clubs,” Cabinteely’s vice-chairman, Brian McGovern, told The42.
“We feel like we need to approach the league and domestic football from a different angle as the league doesn’t have the reputation it should. It’s about enhancing the image and improving the environment for players.
“A lot of lads dream of making it in the Premier League but if things don’t work out then they come back and have nothing. So we’ve come up with this model similar to the one clubs use in England.”
The club expect up to 22 players to avail of the scheme with each member of the panel given the choice to take up two subjects.
Taking two subjects for the year at the ‘Dublin School of Grinds’ costs upwards of €1500 but the club have reached a mutual agreement with the private school.
“When the new U19 season starts in March, lads can miss days of school for training or matches, it happens,” McGovern continued. “This new project allows them to do both and not let their education suffer as they look to climb the footballing ladder.
“They will attend the grinds together but may be in different classes depending on what subjects they select. All the players will wear their Cabinteely kit and it’s important to note they will be representing the club.
“We may be an amateur club but we want to do everything professionally.”
Cabinteely is one of the largest underage clubs in the country and last year replaced Shamrock Rovers ‘B’ in the second tier of the League of Ireland.
