MONTROSE FC WIN BEST CLUB IN THE COMMUNITY AWARD
Small in size they may be, but the Mighty Mo have outperformed all other 41 clubs in Scotland, scooping the 2017 Best Professional Club in the Community trophy at the Grass Roots Awards ceremony last night in Glasgow.
The Scottish FA event recognises the outstanding contribution that football clubs, coaches and volunteers make to their communities and there to collect the award from Kenny Dalglish was Peter Davidson (Links Park Community Trust CEO) and John Crawford (Montrose FC Chairman)
Peter said, “I am absolutely delighted to be receiving this award. It is fantastic recognition for all the hard work and dedication from everyone associated with both Links Park Community Trust (LPCT) and Montrose FC.
“When we created the Trust as the charitable arm of the football club just 5 years ago, we simply couldn’t have imagined being considered the best setup in the country so soon. It is overwhelming to be honest.”
LPCT use the facilities at Links Park to deliver an extensive range of community-benefitting programmes, with participants as young as 18 months right through to 94 years of age. Under the strands of Community Sport, Education & Training and Health & Wellbeing the Trust currently engage with over 1,400 local people each week, 12% of the town’s population, with almost an even split between males and females.
John Crawford added, “I would like to thank and congratulate Peter and his team for what they have achieved and brought to Montrose FC. We are now so much more than just a football club and we recognise the role we can play together in supporting the lives, and in particular the wellbeing of those in our community.
Stewart Regan, SFA Chief Executive remarked, “The work of Montrose FC and LPCT is really inspirational, and I commend them for leading the way.”This prestigious award completes an impressive treble with LPCT having recently been crowned Social Impact Business of the Year (Dundee Courier Business Awards) and, in association with Montrose FC, Community Project of the Year (SPFL Trust).
Peter added, “We are often guilty, as a nation, of immersing ourselves in the negativity that surrounds Scottish football, but there are some fantastic examples of good practice at clubs throughout the country where football is put to very good use, and I am delighted that Montrose FC – and LPCT – have been recognised as the best of such this year.
“We will shamelessly make full use of this fabulous accolade to further promote our work in the hope we can bring benefit to even more people, young and old in our community.”
Our photo shows, from left to right, Peter Stuart (MFC Vice Chairman), Adam McWilliam (LPCT Club Development Officer), Peter Davidson, Logan Cruickshank (LPCT Project Officer) and John Crawford.
Links Park Literacy Trail
