As the league is now in full swing, the club has been focussing on developing their male and female pathways, as part of our FA 3* Accreditation, which the club are proud to be one of the elite few within Durham FA.
Sister Club – Durham Women Football Club
We have been an official sister club to Durham Women FC for several seasons and this year started with a parade of all the sister clubs in the area at the first match of the season. Over 30 girls from our Wildcats, and our teams, attended and were looked after by Durham WFC and, after the match, they were invited to meet the players. This was then followed, on Sunday 20th September, when the girls from our club were chosen to be the mascots for the day. They walked out with the players and were presented before the game. It was a fabulous experience for these young girls.
Women’s Recreational Football Sessions
The club recognised that there were limited opportunities for women to start football or get back into football after several years away from the game. Until Women’s first team coach, Shaun Wilson, decided to run open sessions on a Sunday morning. These are for both fitness and footballing skills, working together. These sessions have attracted over 20 women to register on the sessions and is now proving a very popular addition to our Female Pathway.
Newton Aycliffe Women’s Football Team
The rebuild of our Women’s team continues to gather pace, as we look to rejoin the Durham FA league in September 2027. Several women from the recreational sessions have taken the step back into football and are joined by members of last seasons team, who are wanting to be a part of the rebuild, as they bring experience back to the team. Exciting times for the team and Shaun Wilson who heads up the final part of our Female Pathway.
Football Development Sessions
The growth in children’s football in recent years, across the country and at the football club, has been enormous. The club is aiming to keep pace with demand with the help of our loyal group of qualified volunteer coaches. The well established Wildcats Girls sessions now have two sessions, one for 5-6yrs old and one for 7-8 yrs old, both are at full capacity and the Little Eagles Boys sessions has a thriving group of 5-8 yr old boys, training every week, as they prepare to join teams.
Recently it was noticeable that the demand for sessions for pre school children, aged 3-4 yrs old, was also growing, so the club forged ahead with a new mixed group named Rising Stars, as this is exactly what they are, the future of the football club and stars in the making.
Parental Sideline Behaviour Workshops
After being an integral part of the steering group, to produce a workshop, to advise and educate new parents to grass roots football, on the behaviour expected on the sidelines on match day. Over the following three seasons, more than 150 parents have attended these workshops. In 2024 we were recognised for all the work we were doing, to improve sideline behaviour, at the Annual Durham FA awards night. This year we have been officially appointed, as an approved deliverer of the Sideline Behaviour Improvement Programme, so the work continues.
Coaches CPD Workshops
In September, 18 coaches, from teams across the football club, attended a CPD event at Greenfield Academy, presented by Andy Dixon from Durham FA. The session started with 1 hour of theory, followed by 1 hour practical, around ‘Finishing’. Thank you to all those who gave up their time to attend and a special thanks to the players from our Under 13 Falcons, who volunteered for the practical session (and their parents for giving up a Monday evening to bring the lads along). These sessions will be a benefit to all our players as we progress through this season, with another 2 planned.
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