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A Season to be thankful

A Season to be thankful

Steve Antoniewicz23 Dec 2020 - 22:14
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https://www.jeanfieldswifts.co

As we approach the end of a year like no other its time to reflect and say thank you.

As we started 2020 none of us could have predicted what lay ahead and certainly, we didn’t expect terms like ‘lockdown’, ‘pandemic’ and ‘furlough’ to become part of our daily conversations.

Football, along with many other things, took a back seat while the efforts of NHS staff and front-line workers helped us cope with what was, and still is an exceptional event. 

Football at all levels and in every club has been affected. For a Community Club like Jeanfield perhaps the commercial impacts are less, but the impacts on the physical and mental health of our members and community are not to be underestimated.

With social contact and all football activity restricted for most of 2020, training, matches and community-based activities were disrupted and our weekly soccer school, school holiday camps and lunch clubs had to stop. 

Enjoying the beautiful game is what motivates all our teams and volunteers across the age ranges, levels and genders, whether it's playing, coaching or supporting. So it’s a huge testament to the commitment of every one of our players, coaches, committee members, volunteers and partners that despite the disruption, the club has never been stronger as we approach 2021. 

There’s been loads of work going on in the background, a brilliant spirit of togetherness and a one-club mentality evident in the way that everyone has supported each other. It's often the little unseen acts that make a club more than just a collection of teams and that's why I’d like to give special thanks on behalf of us all at Jeanfield Swifts. 

Thanks to Andy Henderson and Iwan Davies, the Club's response to the Covid crisis was very well managed and communicated to everyone through our all-club zoom calls and our newsletters. 

Thanks to Logan McConnachie, we came together for our first-ever virtual coach development sessions, listening to great advice from experienced coaches, operating at top clubs in Scotland and Ireland. 

Thanks to Alan Esplin and John Boag, our pitches were in prime condition ready for us to train and play on when the rules allowed.

Thanks to Davie Nicol and Kevin Johnstone, we transitioned to a club kit provider (a local business) after a detailed selection process.

Thanks to our pitch inspection group, Chris Matthews, James Hodge, Andy Henderson and Alan Esplin we’ve managed to protect our pitches as the worst of the weather has taken hold. 

Thanks to Alan Campbell and Shaun Park, we’ve been able to complete a full pathway across the Club, with the creation of our first-ever 20s team. 

Thanks to Neil Sorrie, who organised the Club’s fundraising Christmas raffle successfully, once again.

Thanks to all in our community who bought tickets and supported our fundraising efforts.

Thanks to Andy Townsley and his 2002 group who completed their journey with the club at U19's leaving a generous gift to the Community Club. 

Thanks to John Boag, whose team also finished at U19's but who continues to support the community club as a volunteer. 

Thanks to Phil Coleman who stepped down this year after doing a superb job running our soccer school and serving on our youth committee for a few years. Thanks to Rob Stark, all the team and parents from the 2007's who provided a donation of money and food to Perth Foodbank.

Thanks to our partners and all the staff at Perth and Kinross Council who have helped to provide access to adequate winter training facilities and vital maintenance support.

Thanks to the SFA and their East Region team, we managed to align well and follow the government guidance. 

Thanks to the team at Live Active, we managed to restart our soccer school activity in a safe and indoor environment. 

Thanks to NHS Tayside and PKAVs for helping us create a paid community liaison role at the club. 

Thanks to our friends in the local press for continuing to provide great coverage.

Thanks to all of our sponsors for their continued support of all the teams and sections at the Club during 2020.

I will have certainly missed some individuals out from this list, so our thanks go to everyone who has helped us this year from our local community and beyond.

The final thank you goes to all our coaches, players and volunteers whose dedication, determination and passion for the game have helped to overcome many of the obstacles in our way this year. They make it possible to keep the club going forward so successfully.

The progress at the club on and off the field is something to celebrate and as our first team travel to Kelty Hearts on Boxing Day, in the first round proper of the Scottish Cup, they’ll have the whole club behind them, in spirit if not in person.

On behalf of everyone at Jeanfield Swifts, have a safe, healthy and happy festive season and the very best wishes for the New Year. 

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