St Mirren CEO Tony Fitzpatrick, Head of Academy Allan McManus, Academy coach Craig McLeish and Women’s first team head coach Kate Cooper visited Rosario YFC in Northern Ireland on Sunday 1st March with official partners inspiresport's Head of Sales for Scotland Jed McCabe.
Four youth teams (two boys teams and two girls teams) were treated to a masterclass training session delivered by Allan McManus, Craig McLeish and Kate Cooper.
Following the session, Jed from inspiresport delivered a presentation to Rosario YFC coaches on how they can bring their teams over to the St Mirren Training Ground at Ralston where they can enjoy further in-depth sessions, play matches vs similar standard opposition and get the chance to meet first-team players and manager Jim Goodwin.
As well as the experience they receive at Ralston, groups are also given a VIP tour of the Simple Digital Arena as well as show their support for the Buddies at a home match. The ultimate goal is for Saints to identify new talent with hope that someday they will be running out for the first team.
The partnership continues to bear fruit with a further 40 people coming over to enjoy the unique St Mirren experience later this month and take in the home match against Rangers.
Tony Fitzpatrick said: "It was a real pleasure to visit Rosario YFC with Allan, Kate, Craig and Jed.
"It shows our commitment to the three way partnership open to both boys and girls.
"We are always made feel very welcome in Northern Ireland and firmly believe that we are building a pathway for players from Rosario YFC to our own academy and hopefully the first team."
Jed McCabe said: "To see the partnership growing is a huge sense of pride as we now have a solid foundation in place which allows St Mirren to identify new talent, but also market the club to a wider audience.
"The hospitality shown to us was second to none! It shows that Rosario YFC teams want to visit the academy in Ralston to see for themselves how special a club St Mirren are with yet another group coming over here in a few weeks’ time.
"I know we are making an impact when I hear that the young players have St Mirren on their computer games!"
Noel Savage, Rosario YFC, said: "Following the huge success last June when the St Mirren men’s first team came over to open our brand new facility at Ulidia Playing fields the place has gone St Mirren crazy.
"What attracts Rosario YFC to the partnership is we firmly believe in the St Mirren philosophy and the chance our talented players will have to reach the St Mirren academy and hopefully the men’s and women’s first team.
"We understand not all players will make it at a professional level that’s why it is fantastic that all our teams (59) will have the chance to experience first hand a tour of St Mirren with another of our partners inspiresport who organise all the logistics to a high level.
"Rosario YFC have a great track record of producing players with the likes of Martin O’Neill starting his career here."
Below: Head of Academy Allan McManus and Academy coach Craig McLeish deliver a training session
Below: St Mirren women's head coach Kate Cooper delivers a training session
