As part of our enhanced coverage of the Aberdeen and District Juvenile Football Association, The Press and Journal is featuring some of our local teams.
This week we chat to Northstar CFC under-16s head coach Leslie Kilminster, whose side are aiming for promotion from League C, after being relegated from League B last season.
Name: Leslie Kilminster
Position: Head coach
Team: Northstar CFC under-16s
League: Alba Gaskets ADJFA 16s League C
Home pitch: Northfield 3G pitch
Kit colours: Orange
How have you started this season?
We’re delighted with the start we’ve made.
We’re quite a new team, some have been with us for a long time, but we’ve got lot of new players, so we’re trying to bed them in to the squad and trying to get all the players used to each other. But we’re really happy with how the season has started.
What are your expectations for this season?
We’re aiming for promotion into League B this year. We were relegated last year and want to go back up at the first time of asking.
At under-16s level, you have to have something to aim towards – whether that’s progressing as a squad, promotion or trophies. It’s really important to have that.
How tough was it being relegated?
It was really difficult for the boys, and it was a really difficult season. We were just getting used to the level of the league by the time the season ended.
We just have to bounce back and that’s our aim.
Where do you train?
We train at the 3G pitch in Northfield, which is fantastic. We couldn’t ask for a better place to train and play.
For us as a community club, getting facilities like that which are very close to professional level – it’s just great. We’re very lucky.
Tell us a bit about the players in your squad…
We’ve got a good mix here. We’ve got rowdy, a quiet bunch and moody ones – but it is under-16s!
They’re such a good bunch. They come along to training, do their bit every week and just enjoy their football, which is the main thing.
We still get parents coming along to watch, even at under-16s, which makes you feel like you’re doing something right.
How can we improve juvenile football to produce better young players?
I think the grading system has to improve – it’s too broadly spread. There could be more leagues or there could be less leagues.
We’re in an eight-team league, so might only have 16 weeks of fixtures.
So maybe some leagues need to be made bigger or some smaller to cater for teams of all abilities.
It’s very much geared towards the top end, but keeping kids – of all abilities – involved in the game should be the main thing.
Starting a league cup for each league (A, B and C) would be a massive step in the right direction – players would have the chance to win a trophy in their own ability.
At the moment there is just the one cup and that’s with all three leagues involved. There’s a good chance that a C team isn’t going to win coming up against A teams.
I think simple things like that, which gives more teams the chance to win trophies and be successful, would keep all kinds of players interested.
This weekend’s reports will appear on the Press and Journal website at 5pm on Sunday.
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