BARNSLEY man Steve Gates has been selected as a trustee for the English Schools FA and hopes to help both the national game and his hometown club in the role.
The 69-year-old from Darton has been involved in junior football for decades, both as a coach at the Oakwell academy and also in various roles at Barnsley Schools FA and the South Yorkshire equivalent.
It is the first time someone from Barnsley has been a trustee on the English Schools FA which works closely with the Football Association.
Gates said: “It’s lovely to have that influence and significance for the town.
“I can now ensure that there is a wider and more inclusive voice heard including how Barnsley and South Yorkshire deliver school competitions and curriculum.
“Barnsley has always been a hotbed of football – in schools, grassroots and professionally – consistently producing outstanding individuals and teams at all levels.
“Now we can share this success and delivery yet at the same time, pull other successful practice from around the country into our methods and practices.
“In addition, I can now ensure there is a balance of members from a geographical point of view, so that the Yorkshire and Barnsley culture, ethos and unique environment is included in the national operation of school football. There has been a perception of bias centred towards other areas of the UK (Merseyside and the south) where the trustees and senior leadership members are from, reflected in a variety of key decisions that appear to have isolated Barnsley and Yorkshire.
“I am now in a central position to address this and ensure all strategic objectives, priorities and plans take into account our local areas needs. It really does give me the opportunity to put Barnsley on the school football map.
“I have to represent not just myself, but my education colleagues in Barnsley and be the role model that Barnsley deserves”
Gates is hoping his work will have an impact on the national game at the very top level in the future.
“I will be delivering the association’s priorities and making sure every single football-delivering school pushes the national policy. I will set up committees to review everything.
“We have to be more competitive at the top level. We need to create the framework to allow that.
“Schools football is very influential because everyone goes to school.
“If you are in a professional academy, you can still play for your school.
“There is grassroots football for recreational players but we need to have a competitive structure. We need to create an ethos of winning which is sadly missing.
“I have to convince a lot of people that we have to create a tiered structure which will feed the best players into the regional and national level.
“Why is it that we haven’t won a men’s competition since the 1966 World Cup? It’s rubbish to say it’s about ability. We need to look if it is more technical work, the competitive structure, the pathways.
“By being inclusive for all abilities are we restricting the top players?”
