Premier League side and current FA Cup holders Portsmouth Football Club today announces the setting up of an exciting new youth development and recruitment relationship with Home Farm Football Club, Ireland’s oldest schoolboy football Club.
Home Farm has an outstanding record of producing top class talent with no fewer than sixty full Internationals having come through the ranks of the Dublin-based Club.
The three-year initial relationship will see Pompey fund the development of players from the age of 9-18 with the best being invited to join the Club’s Premier League Academy set-up as Scholars from the age of 16.
Portsmouth will be heavily involved with the recruitment process and the funding will allow both Parties to expand the search for new talent throughout the whole of the Republic of Ireland.
Coaches from Portsmouth will make regular visits to Dublin to work with Home Farm’s coaches and check on the progress of the players.
Paul Hart, currently Portsmouth’s First Team Caretaker Manager and also in charge of the Club’s Youth development programme said: This is a significant step for us in widening our network in the search for young talent.
“Home Farm FC has consistently produced young Boys of a high standard and I have worked closely with them when I was at both Leeds United and Nottingham Forrest. They have an excellent set-up and with our resources and expertise we will be working together to improve that even further”.
“Alongside our relationship in Belgium with Zulte-Waregem and work we are doing in Australia, this is providing the Club with an excellent base to bring young Players through and, eventually hopefully into the First Team environment”.
Hart who arrived at Portsmouth two years ago to set-up the Club’s Youth Development programme added: “You cannot underestimate how important it is to put the right processes in place to produce your own talent. Even the best team in the World, Manchester United, have an excellent Youth set-up and can see the value in producing their own”
Among the Star names that have emerged from Home Farm are Jackie Carey and Liam Whelan, who both played for Manchester United, Arsenal’s Joe Haverty and Chelsea’s Paddy Mulligan. More recently the likes of Stephen Mc Phail and Gary Kelly (Leeds United), Kenny Cunningham, Ronnie Whelan, Darren O’ Dea, Richard Dunne, and Graham Kavanagh to name a few learned their trade at Home Farm.
Home Farm Chairman John Lyons has this to say: “We are very excited about our new alliance with Portsmouth Football Club. Home Farm has a strong history of providing Players for the Professional game and we can only see this going from strength to strength in the future”.
“Every lad who joins the Club dreams of becoming a Professional Player and our job is to assist in every way to make that dream come true”.
“Portsmouth Football Club has a similar Youth development policy as Home Farm, encouraging good football with the emphasis on good technical ability”.
“The support we receive from Portsmouth will enable us to expand our academies and provide the highest level of coaching for all our Players”.
“Portsmouth have already agreed to sign Carl Walshe from our under 16’s and have been impressed with several other lads who have been across with them”.
Home Farm Football Club was founded in the Whitehall area of Drumcondra in North Dublin in 1928.
The Club was formed when the Richmond Road team were without a ball.
One Friday evening three boys from the team – Don Seery, Jack Donovan and Walter Cummins – called on the Menton Household at 31 Home Farm Road with the news that their ball had burst and that they would be pleased to play for the Home Farm Road team on the following day.
Richmond Road subsequently amalgamated with Home Farm and Home Farm Football Club was formed.
Home Farm moved from a site that was initially a rhubarb field to the current Whitehall Grounds in the 1930’s ten years after its formation.
The club has grown from strength to strength since its formation and has provided soccer facilities for the much needed youth and Community of Dublin over these years.
The Club has provided many young Men with great opportunities by improving their education through the ethos of soccer, friendship and respect.
Home Farm has developed into one of the most successful Schoolboys clubs in Europe.
Sir Matt Busby once said that “Home Farm Football Club was the finest amateur organizations” he had ever come across and honours have continued to be bestowed upon the Club from many quarters since its foundation.
Sir Tony O’ Reilly the Club’s President has stated: ”If People really mean what they say about Community effort, they should study Home Farm Football Club in action. They would learn a great deal about unselfishness, dedication and unpaid effort and the fun that the Club brings to so many people.
The Club currently has no fewer than seven Players representing Ireland from under 15’s to under 18 level and competes successfully at the highest level in all age Groups. Over 300 boys represent the Club weekly with Home Farm continuing to operate on a voluntary basis.
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