Cove Youth FC will finally have the chance to mark their 25th anniversary after Covid postponed the celebrations for two years.
The club reached the milestone back in March 2020, but only now will the club be able to host their anniversary dinner on March 26 at the P&J Live.
Cove Youth was founded by Donald Smith in 1995 so his then seven-year-old son had a more local team to play for rather than travelling to the other side of Aberdeen.
The club, which started out as one team with 14 players, has grown to have thousands of young players come through its ranks over the years – with 300 currently signed up to the club from aged five to 19-years-old.
It will be a joint affair as amateur side Cove Thistle will celebrate their 70th anniversary in March 2022 and will mark the occasion at the dinner alongside Cove Youth.
The clubs have a well-established relationship with each other and the community as the youth players can progress to Cove Thistle as part of their pathway into senior football.
The anniversary dinner will be an opportunity for past and present members of both Cove clubs to come together and celebrate as one.
Smith, who is still the chairman of Cove Youth, is delighted that the occasion will finally be marked – even if it is two years later than planned.
He said: “I’ve been involved for 27 years now and it’s fantastic, absolutely brilliant. It has become something within the community that you wouldn’t want to lose.
“It’s a milestone that deserves to be recognised because there have been so many people involved in the club over that 25-year period.
“Not just players and not just the kids, but a lot of adults in the community who have helped as coaches or club officials.
“It’s an opportunity to potentially get them back so they can enjoy a Cove Youth event and remember the things they did in the past that helped the kids and the community as well.
“It’s really been about trying to everybody who has been involved over the years.
“We thought both clubs’ anniversaries were pretty important and joining forces was just the natural thing to do to make the dinner bigger and better.”
Club role models
Since the club was established back in 1995, several players who have come through their ranks have gone on to achieve things that most can only dream of.
Scotland internationals Ryan Fraser, and brothers Graeme and Andrew Shinnie all began their football careers as ‘Cove loons’.
Club chairman Smith hopes they can play a part in the 25th celebrations from afar via video messages, and insists those players still have important roles to play at the club as they help inspire the current boys coming through.
“For the kids coming through being able to see those boys as role models and to be able to see what you can achieve if you really put your mind to it and you’re really dedicated to something you love,” Smith said.
“They show the heights of the game that you can reach, so we’re constantly reminding the players of the responsibilities of the game and of the club, but also the possibilities that you can achieve here.
“We mention the lads all the time and tell the kids how proud we are of them. We’re proud of any kid that just enjoys their football, but when they achieve things like that it’s quite special.”
Creating a legacy
Smith is as ambitious as ever and is always looking for ways to create a better future for the next generation of players like the Shinnie brothers, and improve the legacy of Cove Youth.
The club is currently working alongside Sport Aberdeen and Aberdeen City Council to secure the funds for a new artificial pitch facility at the Gateway Business Park.
The Cove Youth chairman said: “We’ve been fortunate as of late, but for the first 20 years we didn’t have anything at all other than any spare bit of grass that we could find.
“We’ve been lucky with facilities in the last four or five years with Cove Rangers’ new ground and the new academy up at Lochside, and the Gateway Pitch which was given to us by the Muir Group, that’s provided us with local facilities that never previously existed.
“We’ve got a really ambitious proposal in the pipeline and we’re just trying to get that over the line.
“It would be incredible for the community because it wouldn’t just be used by our football club, but it would be a multifunctional sports facility.
“For me, personally, if we could add the astroturf facility it would be a dream come true.”
Anyone who might be interested in attending the anniversary dinner or who would like to sponsor the event should email donaldcove@btinternet.com for more information.