Berwick Rangers and Berwick Juniors agree partnership
Berwick Rangers are proud to announce that a formal agreement has been made to reconnect ties between the Football Club and Berwick Juniors, meaning the town’s largest youth football club will once again be known as Berwick Rangers Juniors.
This partnership, which will be mutually beneficial for both parties, fulfils an early goal set out by the new Board of Directors when they arrived at the Football Club in January and comes following a number of positive discussions between club representatives and members of the Berwick Juniors committee.
Among the commitments made by the Football Club to the Juniors include the use of facilities at Shielfield Park, including meeting rooms and recreational space for fundraising, as well as agreed access to the pitches at Shielfield Park, Old Shielfield and Ivinson.
With the Juniors having 12 teams, the facilities arrangement will complement the agreement the Juniors have with Berwick Cricket Club, who provide pitches and their clubhouse for some of the set-up’s younger teams.
Coaches of Berwick Rangers Juniors teams will also benefit from the launch of a coach in-service programme, which is set to launch next Wednesday (June 10). On this Zoom call, former Berwick Rangers Junior and current St Johnstone man Liam Craig will speak to Juniors coaches about his career and move into coaching. Craig has also lined up more professional player guests as the monthly programme grows and it is hoped this will play an important role in the development of Juniors coaches moving forward.
The Board of Directors will also lend their expertise to the Juniors to help further professionalise how they are run, supporting them in their marketing and communications, as well as with grant applications.
The Juniors, meanwhile, will formally adopt the Berwick Rangers Football Club badge and continue in their Black and Gold kits, while the use of ‘Berwick Rangers Juniors’ will also begin across all social media and marketing.
Members of the Board of Directors will also meet quarterly with members of the Juniors committee to review progress within the partnership.
Speaking about the link-up, Vice-Chairman Craig Forsyth said: “To say we’re excited to have reconnected with Berwick Juniors and have them playing under the ‘Berwick Rangers’ name again is an understatement.
“In recent years, the clubs have enjoyed a positive, informal relationship and, although some may react to this announcement with a little bit of cynicism given the breakdown of formal relationships between the clubs in the past, we hope they can look beyond those mistakes and towards what we believe will be a bright future for both Berwick Rangers and Berwick Rangers Juniors.
“Berwick Rangers Juniors are now an official part of our pathway and I’d like to personally thank the Juniors committee for all of the positive discussions we’ve had in recent months. I believe this is the start of a long and successful partnership.”
Chairman of Berwick Juniors, Steven Ingram, added: “Our committee have been watching with interest the changes at Berwick Rangers in recent months and with the club’s new vision and increased community drive, it seems like the perfect time for our two organisations to connect.
“From the Juniors’ perspective, this reorganisation should lead to and produce a clearer pathway for young players to see the link and progression that can be made through hard work, dedication and loyalty to the First Team at Berwick Rangers and beyond. We’re also delighted about the coach education opportunities that have been offered to us, which can only benefit our youngsters as they look to progress in the game.
“These are certainly exciting times and we look forward to watching this partnership flourish. In doing so, hopefully these youngsters will become enthused with Berwick Rangers and the club can become a true community hub.”
