Sponsors of Alan McDonald Soccer School for second year!
22 March 2024
Harp and Crown Credit Union are title sponsors of The Alan McDonald Soccer School for the second year in a row!
Taking place on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June at Newforge Sports Complex, Belfast, the Alan McDonald Soccer School of Excellence is exclusively for children aged between 8 – 15 years old. In association with the PSNI District Football League, the annual two day event is entering its 36th year, having been set up in memory of the late Northern Ireland footballer Alan McDonald.
Given it is Women’s History Month, there is no better time to encourage more girls to take part in the event! In 2023 the event saw around 17% girls participating and this number is growing.
Speaking of the partnership, Harp and Crown Credit Union CEO, Siobhan Barclay said:
“It is a pleasure to be able to support the Alan McDonald Soccer School for the second year running. We would love to see more of our “Junior members” taking part this year and in particular help encourage more girls to get involved in such a prestigious soccer training programme. Best of luck to all taking part!”
Alan McClune, Chairman of the PSNI Football Association said:
“On behalf of the Committee for the Alan McDonald Soccer School, we are delighted to have the support of the Harp and Crown Credit Union for this year’s event and for years to come.
Our association with former Northern Ireland Captain Alan McDonald began in 1988 when the first Soccer School began, and Alan was one of the first coaches to join. He was joined by Kevin Wilson and John McClelland, all from the current Northern Ireland International Team at the time.
Alan attended every soccer school from that year up until his unfortunate passing at an early age on 23rd June 2012.
On approaching the family, they were delighted that we wished to change the school name to ‘The Alan McDonald Soccer School of Excellence’, which is now headed by former Northern Ireland player and Captain Chris Brunt.
With the support of the Harp and Crown Credit Union we hope to move forward together from strength to strength.”
Over 150 children are expected to take part in the two-day soccer school of excellence, with coaches from both the Scottish and English Football Associations, and the PSNI Football Association’s own IFA coaches, supporting the event with their expertise and knowledge.
Hot lunches will be provided for the children each day and at the end of the school on Sunday 2nd June, each child will be presented with a signed certificate and football, together with a small gift, acknowledging their efforts over the two days.
Registration is NOW OPEN for the Alan McDonald’s Soccer School of Excellence via the following link: https://www.psnifa.co.uk/psni_soccer_school.php. The closing date for entries will be 19th May 2024.
The Harp and Crown Credit Union is based in Newforge Sports Complex and provides safe, secure and flexible financial services to the wider police family in Northern Ireland. This includes Junior accounts for children and grandchildren aged 0-15 years. For more details visit https://harpandcrown.co.uk/junior-saver.
The Harp and Crown Credit Union wishes the organisers of the Alan McDonald Soccer School of Excellence a successful event and encourages as many of their wider police family members as possible to support this great event and register their “junior” footballers now.
The Harp and Crown Credit Union provides safe, secure, flexible finances for the wider police family in Northern Ireland.
