Young Guns having a blast with Shifnal

The club have teamed up with former manager Mick Tranter – who won a memorable double while at the helm a decade ago – and are now plotting a very different success.

Tranter, owner of Telford company Acoustafoam, took up the role of managing director of the club to support them through ‘dire straits’ and help them flourish – on the premise that it was engineered around providing opportunities for youngsters.

After sponsoring their Phoenix Park home, now the Acoustafoam Stadium, and tidying up the ground, Tranter and the ambitious board of directors decided to focus on engaging with the community and ensuring that Shifnal Town Football Club can accommodate any child.

Approached

“Our business plan doesn’t extend to putting lots of money to the first-team and trying to buy them the league and competing with Telford. We’re not really interested in that,” said the 69-year-old, of Wellington.

“I was approached by the guys. I had been asked a couple of times before. I’ve had an involvement over the years.

“I spoke to a few pals and we said ‘why not? Let’s see if we can do something for the community and put a bit back into it.’

“The first team is our flagship but we want a stepping stone for children from two right up to adults where there’s a facility for them to play football irrespective of their ability. In our opinion no kid should be turned away because they’re not good enough.”

Shifnal’s first team currently play in the West Midlands Regional League Premier Division, under the ambitious stewardship of new boss Mark Simpson.

But one of Tranter’s main moves has been to fire up a ‘Young Guns’ section, for children aged between four and six to join a club for the first time.

The move has been immensely successful. There are 35 boys and girls within that age bracket already involved with the club. The response and support to that initiative – and the work in the club as a whole – has been ‘phenomenal’ and ‘overwhelming’, Tranter revealed.

“I’ve seen the Little Kickers franchise around and what not, I thought ‘why not start at the bottom with Young Guns?’ We’ve got 35 boys and girls on board at the moment,” the former West Bromwich Albion and Broseley youth coach continued. “It’s not just football, it’s a social thing as well. We get them involved in parties, Halloween, Christmas, the whole thing.

“The parents have been fantastic, everyone’s coming on board raising money. We’ve had raffles, stalls, the help and response has been fantastic.

“It’s fantastic fun. They’re all different personalities. They love it.”

It is clear that Tranter holds a real passion for the club, town and wider community. For him, the club also has a family feel, with son Paul running the Young Guns coaching and granddaughters Lauren, 17, and Morgan, 13, ably assisting.

Owing to the Young Guns’ success, Shifnal have applied to launch a ‘Wild Cats’ team, through FA funding.

The business side of things at Shifnal is in safe hands with Tranter and his colleagues, who have refurbished a stand, changing rooms, gained around 100 sponsors and also sell advertising boards at £200, half of which goes back to the club, after costs.

And there is real ambition within the people helping run the progressive and forward-thinking club.There are now plans are currently in the worksfor a brand new, state-of-the-art clubhouse, where building work could begin by the back end of this year.

Their targets don’t stop there.And, to help cater for the influx of youngsters to the club – who currently have 10 sides but plan to double that figure – they hope to install up to two 3G surfaces at The Acoustafoam.

Through the support of the Shropshire FA and the financial backing of the Football Foundation and The FA, the club are reaching for the stars.

Tranter continued: “As we stand we have Young Guns, under-12s, 13s, 15s, 16s, 17s, first team, ladies’ football, veterans and we’ve also set up walking football where there’s 20 players – that’s in conjunction with Telford Stags.

“The plan is, if we get the clubhouse on the ground, to go for a 3G pitch or possibly two. We wanted a total community club for the people of Shifnal.”

Clubhouse plans for the stadium, on Coppice Green Lane, have been drawn up and are currently with the Football Foundation – who provide large funds for grassroots clubs looking to develop their facilities.

Shifnal hope that, by the second or third quarter of 2019, they will be rubber-stamped. Tranter added: “It would be nice if we could get every team in Shifnal to come under the same banner, we’re talking and there’s a lot of interest.

“If we can build this into an academy, we could end up as one of the most progressive football clubs in the country at grassroots level.”

Sessions for the Young Guns take place on Saturdays between 1-2pm at Idsall Sports Hall. For details call Mick Tranter on 07785373082 or email amy@acoustafoam.com.