McDonald’s Grassroots Football Partnership with Bradley Stoke YFC Celebrated by England World Cup Legend and Ex-Three Lions Manager

Bradley Stoke Youth FC and McDonald s franchisee Mike Guerin celebrate ten years of success

Bradley Stoke Youth FC welcomed England s 1966 World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst and ex-Three Lions boss Graham Taylor to a special event celebrating the ongoing relationship between the club and the local McDonald s restaurants run by franchisee Mike Guerin.

Mike, who owns ten McDonald s restaurants in Bristol, is in his tenth year of supporting the team and during that time has donated approximately £25,000 worth of new kit and training equipment from McDonald s kit supplier Precision to Bradley Stoke Youth FC to help their 11 teams, from under-7s through to under-11s.

On 26^th March, McDonald s Director of Football Sir Geoff Hurst and ex-England manager Graham Taylor visited the club for a training session to celebrate the success of the local McDonald s relationship with the club, which has seen up to eight new kits donated every year and has helped to attract around 40 new players annually.

Graham, Precision Training Ambassador and Sir Geoff oversaw a training session led by Bradley Stoke Youth s Community Link Officer Martin Lee and the club s U7 coaches before taking part in a questions and answers session with the players and parents.

Mike, said, “It gives me great pleasure to help Bradley Stoke Youth FC and I ve been delighted to have supported them for a decade now. They are an excellent club with a great group of coaches and players. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the visit today by McDonald s Director of Football Sir Geoff Hurst and Graham Taylor and I m looking forward to our continued partnership. ”

Sir Geoff Hurst added, “It is thanks to the help of franchisees like Mike Guerin that clubs such as Bradley Stoke Youth FC can grow and welcome more players and coaches into their clubs. The McDonald s Football Programme is all about helping grassroots clubs and volunteers who are vital to the game. It was a pleasure to be able to visit the club and meet their coaches and young players. ”

Sir Geoff Hurst and Graham Taylor were both impressed with the organisation of the club and its commitment to the community with the growth of the club to support the area, the clubs school link program with 15 Primary Schools resulting in over 800 children receiving football coaching in at their own school, the number of children the club can cater for at the U7 age group, the number of coaches at the club, the number of teams at the club from U7 to U18 s and the dedicated girl teams, the disability football coaching sessions and the young coach mentoring program that is run by the club.

Bradley Stoke Youth were awarded the GFA Charter Standard Community Club of the Year in 2011 and 2013 for their services to the community. They have been nominated again for 2014. If anyone would like to join the club as a player, coach or volunteer please contact Martin Lee on 07785 384618 or [email protected]

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