Under 18s coach to move on to position with national association
Northampton Town's under 18s coach Craig Hinton will be leaving the club to take up a position with the Football Association.
Former Cobblers defender Hinton has looked after the under 18 squad at Sixfields for the last two and a half years, and his departure to the FA is a compliment to Northampton Town, said Academy Manager Trevor Gould.
"For the FA to recruit one of our senior coaches shows how highly the work we do is regarded," he said.
"We are sorry to see Craig go, but this is a great opportunity for him and we wish him well."
The under 18 side will now be run by Mark Lyons, Lead Foundation Coach, and Lee Garlick, Lead Youth Development Coach, and overseen by Trevor Gould. Mark and Lee are UEFA A licence holders.
“Both Mark and Lee are energetic, qualified and experienced coaches who know the players and the Academy structure very well,” said Gould. “We are fortunate to have coaches of their calibre within the Academy and I know they will relish the opportunity.”
There are currently 120 young players in the Northampton Town Academy, all recruited from within a 30 mile radius of Sixfields Stadium.
Some of the high profile success stories of players who have played for the Northampton Town first team in recent years include goalkeeper Mark Bunn, currently first choice for Aston Villa in the Premier League. Michael Jacobs, now with Wigan Athletic and Ivan Toney, who has played for Newcastle United against Chelsea and Manchester United in the Premier League this season.
And, according to Gould, there are currently a number of players in all age groups who are attracting attention.
"At the younger ages we have seen Glenn Middleton move to Norwich City and Fraser Hornby to Everton in the last season or two," he said.
"Both are progressing really well. Glenn has played under 18 international football for Scotland and has appeared for the Norwich under 21 side, while Fraser is doing well at Everton.
"We have other players attracting close interest as well, and whether they go on to be a player in the Northampton Town first team or they move on elsewhere, joining the Northampton Town Academy is the clearest pathway into the professional game for young Northamptonshire footballers."
- Meanwhile, Northampton Town’s youth team were in action on Thursday afternoon as they took on Cambridge United at St Neots in the Football League Youth Alliance. The game ended 1-1 with James Hammond scoring for the Cobblers. “It was an improving performance,” said the club’s Academy Manager Trevor Gould. “We took the lead in the first half and although we didn’t go on to win the game there were lots of positives we can take from it going forward.”