Sports news from Stafford Borough

Stafford Honours Borough Sporting Stars

The hard work and achievements of Stafford Borough’s sports stars was recently celebrated at the annual Sports Awards Evening.  The event took place on Friday 5^th March at St Leonard’s Sports and Social Club in Stafford and rewarded the sporting success of some of the Borough’s leading performers.   

The event organised in partnership with Stafford Borough Council Leisure Services, The Staffordshire Newsletter, Staffordshire University and Sport Stafford Borough attracted over 200 guests to watch the proceedings take place. Individuals and teams were honoured in a variety of categories ranging from Most Improved Sports Performer to Coach of the Year. This year’s awards featured our most varied coverage in terms of different sports. Individual sports such as sailing and archery featured heavily in the evening, which shows the diversity of what the people of Stafford do in terms of their choice of sport.

Andrew Bridgman - Winner of the Male Sports
Personality of the Year Award

Towards the end of the night the Tony Bents award was presented to the family of Ruth Holdway, a local canoe coach who sadly died at the end of 2009 in a walking accident. Ruth’s fantastic achievements and dedication to the sport of canoeing were recognised and her brother Robert received the award on the family’s behalf.

Olympic Archer Alison Williamson was the guest for the evening and she presented three of the awards, as well as doing an inspirational speech at the end of the evening. Her Olympic Bronze medal was a real hit with the young people at the ceremony!

Local business and companies supported the event by sponsoring an award, including Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, who sponsored the Junior Team Performance of the Year award.

Jenny Moore
Senior Sport and Physical Activity
Development Officer

T: 01785 619565
E: jmoore@staffordbc.gov.uk

Stafford Borough Girls' Football Tournament

The Sports Development Team at Stafford Borough Council recently held a girls’ football tournament for more than 100 primary school pupils in years 5 & 6. 

The annual competition involving primary schools across the borough, was organised by the borough council and took place at Rowley Park Stadium, Stafford on 10 March.

St Anne’s Catholic Primary School saw off eleven rivals to win the girls’ football tournament and will now represent the borough in a countywide competition next month.

Competitors aged between 9 and 11 years old battled it out with St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, beating Leasowes Primary School 2-0 in the final.

For more information on getting involved in girls’ football within the borough, please contact Jules on jfkendrick@staffordbc.gov.uk or 01785 619607.

Julia Kendrick
Assistant Sports Development Officer
T: 01785 619607
E: jfkendrick@staffordbc.gov.uk

A Sporty Easter is planned for Stafford

There’s no excuse for the young people of Stafford to not burn off their Easter Eggs! Stafford Borough Council’s Sport Development Team has planned a varied programme of sporting opportunity. The programme contains activities for the 5–15 age group, ranging from structured coaching to informal come and go sessions. Included in the programme is a 4 day Star track Athletics scheme aimed at delivering running, jumping and throwing sessions to all abilities.  With both Mini-Kickers and Kickers coaching courses planned, young footballers will have plenty of opportunity to improve their skills and techniques under the instruction of FA qualified coaches.

For those who prefer to come and go as they please, 7 days of free open access skate park sessions are planned for young people to practise their tricks on skates, skateboards or BMX bikes on the quarter pipes, drive ways and fly offs.   

Clare Skelton
Athletics and Parks Development Officer

T: 01785 619308
E: cskelton@staffordbc.gov.uk