NEIL BROWN
I have recently been appointed as this year's Under 10 manager and am really looking forward to working with a great bunch of lads.
I am a qualified FA level 2 coach, FACA member and CRB checked. I am currently coaching at Cirencester Town and was originally introduced to the coaching side of things by Paul Cooper who is the founder member of 'Give us back our game'.
As a boy I had trials for Swindon Town, Bristol Rovers and West Bromwich Albion but was deemed too small - or vertically challenged as I like to say now. Thus I no only too well the disappointment that can be felt on trial day and the management of expectations that are needed.
I played a lot of local football at semi-pro, Wilts league and finally District league levels even playing under a real hard task master of a manager called Don Rogers!!
I was not lucky enough to enjoy the coaching skills that are available now and hence I am trying to help boys at a very early stage in their lives get on the ladder of achieving my boyhood dream of playing football professionally as well as having some fun along the way.
NICK PANNELL
I’m delighted to have been appointed as Assistant Manager for this season’s U10 squad, and am really looking forward to working with Neil and a fine group of young players.
I’m an FA Level 1 coach currently working alongside Neil at Cirencester Town FC. I hold Safeguarding Children and Emergency Aid certificates, and am fully CRB checked. I have also founded, chaired and ran the successful Northleach Woollies club, which has teams at U8 and U10 levels, as well as a thriving ‘Football School’ for younger kids. When not coaching, I’m often sitting with my wife and two boys in the Holte End at Villa Park!
As a football-mad young lad, I played in the local leagues in Berks and Bucks – playing some representative games myself as an U13 and U14. Most of my playing days thereafter were in Universities football. Later, I played extensively in Germany’s regional league system, where I also began coaching juniors.
My playing days ended early through injury, so I got more involved in junior coaching from a relatively young age, coaching in both German and Swiss schools and grass roots programmes for several years before returning to the UK in 2005.
With my sons, who are 8 and 9, both mad keen footballers, I decided to get straight back into coaching here in England, where hopefully my experiences on the continent will prove useful.
I find very little as rewarding as helping youngsters to grow and develop their football skills and confidence, and I’m thoroughly looking forward to supporting Neil in doing just that.