Kenny Dougall salutes BJFF Spartans Under-14s on league glory

The team have crowned an eight-year journey by winning their first league title – becoming Poulton and District Primary League U14 premier division champions for phase one of the season.

Seasiders midfield hero Dougall went along to the Bispham club to congratulate everyone involved in their extra-special year, having won their first trophy – the Fleetwood Cup – in the summer.

Nobody is prouder than manager Lee McCann, having led the team from the bottom to the top.

Lee said: “I took my son Rowan to BJFF in 2014 with about 50 other boys. They formed six teams and I took the bottom team.

“We started playing as Under-7s the following year and were losing heavily at first.

“It took us about a year to score a goal and another year to win our first match, but we steadily improved and three promotions took us to the premier league, where we have stayed.”

All that was missing until 2022 was silverware but, having won the Fleetwood Cup without conceding a goal, the Spartans triumphed in their league with nine wins and a draw in 10 games – scoring 36 goals and conceding only 11.

Seven of the eight players who formed the original squad eight years ago are still playing, though that squad is now 17 strong.

They are: JP Gibson, Charlie Hastings, Charlie Hewson, Oliver Hill, Harvey James, Rowan McCann, Jacob Morrell, Callum Motler, Joseph Naylor, Oliver Posylek, Zack Preston, Lucy Robinson, Randy Shargbeh, Alfie Walsh, Ben Walsh, Oliver Welch and George Yekeh.

Lucy has made superb progress, playing mostly against teenage boys, and has undergone trials with Manchester United and the Lionesses with scouts now regularly attending Spartans’ matches.

Blackpool FC’s backing of grassroots football sees each of the senior players attached to a local club.

Dougall, the club’s Wembley play-off hero in 2021, has been delighted to devote time to BJFF and to share in the Spartans’ celebrations.

Lee’s players won’t be resting on any laurels as a new league competition begins in the New Year.

He added: “We have Swedish and Polish players and it’s all about developing them all as players and as people too.

“Our motto is, ‘Hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard’.

“They have all worked their socks off to get to the top. I’m massively proud of them all.”

Lee also expressed his gratitude to his coaching team (Aaron Hastings, Darren Hewson, Carl Motler and Steve Morrell), as well as the team sponsors IBA Gas Maintenance and Robev Engineering Ltd.