BACKGROUND

 

Darlington Spraire Lads were formed in 1982, initially catering for boys football, but since 1999 the club has expanded to provide opportunities for girls to play as well, resulting in the club adopting their current title, Darlington Spraire Lads & Lasses Football Club.

Spraire Lads provide junior teams from U7s through to U18s, as well as two senior teams. The Under 7's play their football in the Cleveland Youth league with the remainder of the junior teams playing competitive football on Sundays in the very successful Teesside Junior Football Alliance. The U18s compete on Saturdays in the Durham County Lomax Training Services U18s League. The Sunday Senior team is well established in Division 1 of the Northern Echo Invitation Sunday League and the Saturday Senior team has completed their second season in the Jack Hatfield Teesside League.

Spraire Lasses now provide teams at U10s, U12s and U15s. The U10s & U12s groups compete within the Durham County League and the U15s in the Tyne Tees Girls Youth League.

Three years ago, Spraire Lads & Lasses earned their FA Charter Standard award. The Club achieved this award in recognition of the standards that the club has reached and good practice that has been adopted for the opportunities that they provide for both boys and girls. The Club has in place a football development plan, each coach is FA qualified and the club has adopted a child protection policy. The Club has now gone one step better and has been awarded FA Charter Standard Community Club status, which will create new opportunities and funding streams to aid development of the club.

There are exciting times ahead for Spraire Lads & Lasses. We have recently become a community partner of Hummersknott School & Language College and we will benefit from their programmed redevelopment of their sports facilities, which is expected to take place over the next couple of years. We are also an existing community partner with Darlington Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College and we hope to have use of their refurbished playing fields on Abbey Road, including their brand new pavilion. In addition there are proposals for new changing facilities at our ‘spiritual home’ of South Park, which should be operational within a year.

So if you have a son or daughter, or you are junior yourself that would like to get involved with playing junior football in a safe environment, then either contact the manager of the appropriate age group or contact Dave & Linda Scott.