Richard Scudamore, the chief executive of the UK’s English Premier League, was recognised for his contribution to the development of youth sport, particularly soccer, on the island.

He was made an honorary life member, one of only five, by the Freeport Rugby and Football Club which has hosted the island’s hugely-popular soccer camp for the past seven years.

For the first three of those years the Premier League was the major sponsor, providing former international players as coaches and general support, including authentic club uniforms for participants. Then when the sponsorship finished he arranged a donation of almost $100,000 to help build the extended sports pitches and training areas at the club’s Settlers Way site.

The latter has helped enormously in boys and girls soccer, particularly in the latter where almost 200 girls play every Saturday afternoon in season, and also in freeing up the original pitch for use in developing young people’s rugby, including the recent club high school initiative.

Scudamore, who was on Grand Bahama for the Easter holiday staying with friends, was given his award during a small ceremony at the clubhouse. Afterwards he revealed that Freeport had been a pioneer –what had been done here was so successful it has since been extended to 43 countries worldwide.

The league has developed into a truly worldwide organisation since Scudamore took it over in November 1999. Then it was UK-only. Now its matches are watched on TV by more than 700 million people in 211 countries and territories.

Its annual turnover is measured in the billions and, according to The Times newspaper of London, it is challenging the NBA to the title of the world’s first truly global sports league.

During his visit former UK and US newspaperman Scudamore inspected the new playing area which is currently being prepared for this year’s soccer camp which is being held there from June 21 to June 25.

It will be sure to be the best camp yet and already the finest group of coaches has been assembled to lead the local volunteers. The price is being held again this year to reflect the tough times many face on the island and that means it is about a third the cost of similar events in the US.

“We have had some great coaches in the past but there is no doubt that this year’s trio will be brilliant. They have an outstanding reputation for working with children, giving them a good time but also teaching them valuable lessons,” said organiser Richard Malcolm.

“The debt we owe Richard Scudamore is enormous. The fact that he chose to support children’s sport here on relatively tiny Grand Bahama is amazing when he had the whole world to go at. That has never really been fully acknowledged by the sporting fraternity here, including the print media and TV.

“This recognition by the rugby club may not seem much to some but it is a very rare award and a very timely one. The camp organizers would like to thank the committee for it. Richard certainly understood the import of it.”

Rugby Club president Rob Speller said: “There is no doubt what we owe Richard a lot for his vision and generosity. We thought hard about what we could do to thank him and we are glad we struck a chord with him by granting him this rare recognition.”

Registration forms for this year’s camp (price $175) can be obtained from Town and Country in Yellow Pine Street; Animale, Port Lucaya; from this website; or from derek.archer1@gmail.com

The 37-year-old international defender is now a full-time senior pro coach having completed more than 400 English league games for Leyton Orient and Cambridge United. He started his career with famous London club Arsenal and was player of the year in three out of his four seasons at Orient.

He is now responsible for a team of coaches developing soccer skills in young people in an area of the UK – East London and the county of Essex – with a population of almost two million. That’s more than six times the number of people living in the Bahamas.

“In our job we get to work with kids of all ages and different abilities and it really broadens your horizons. We have a massive responsibility – to give children the best guidance and understanding we can possibly give them,” he said.

“In the game itself we aim to introduce to kids fundamental skills such as balance and co-ordination while getting them comfortable off and on the ball and developing their understanding of the game generally.

“We want them to really express themselves and enjoy playing soccer. That will be my mission in Grand Bahama. ”

The highlight of Matthew’s career was playing against the USA in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers. Barbados was defeated but the USA went on to the quarter finals in South Korea and Japan, only to be defeated by the eventual tournament runners up Germany. Matthew was born in the Bethnal Green area of London but his parents’ Barbadian background qualified him to become a member of the famous “Bajan Pride” – the island’s national team.

Prior to turning out for them, though, he had already won 16 youth caps playing for England.

Matthew, lead coach Jamie Godbold and fellow newcomer Sarah Green are giving up vacation time to fly in to Freeport to pass on their skills and soccer knowledge in improving the game among young people on the island.

“I am genuinely excited by the quality of the coaches we have coming this year. In our seven years we have always had top class people but the blend we are able to bring to Grand Bahama in 2010 has to be the best yet,” said camp organiser Richard Malcolm.

“What makes it particularly excellent is that they are specialists not just in soccer coaching but in bringing out the best in young people.

“They will make sure the kids have a fantastic, fun time as well as exposing them to the latest soccer ideas. The latter will also be a big bonus for our volunteer local coaches. We have more than 20 who give up their time for the camp and the visitors will be passing on their skill and knowledge to them, too.”

The camp takes place from Monday, June 21, to Friday, June 25, at the extended playing fields of Freeport Rugby Football Club, East Settlers Way. Campers get lunch each day as well as two full sets of uniform, the top level coaching and the chance of a cooling lunchtime swim in the club pool.

Registration is $175 and forms can be found on this website (attached below) or collected from Town & Country, Yellow Pine Street, and Animale, Port Lucaya. More information about the camp can be had from derek.archer1@gmail.com It is not too early to register because it is first come, first served and numbers are pegged at 180.

It will feature the event’s first full-time professional female soccer coach. Her name is Sarah Green and she works for the London-based Football Association as part of its drive to take kids and turn them into international players of the future.

The camp’s 180 attendees split roughly equally between boys and girls but Sarah is at home coaching both and in fact leads mixed classes on a daily basis.

She follows a long line of top-line coaches the camp has attracted from the UK, the country where what is the world’s biggest sport was invented, including leading former international players and media experts as well as full timers. She will be working alongside Jamie Godbold who is returning after being lead coach for the last two years during which he has made himself a firm favourite with local children.

Jamie Godbold

Jamie is currently nursing a broken jaw, sustained scoring a goal for his league-leading team, for whom he has been leading scorer for several years, but will be fully fit for the camp.

Sarah is already well-qualified but is also well on the way to completing the range of courses which will lead to her earning the highest level coaching license granted by EUFA, the international governing body for soccer. She is also a player, having turned out regularly for the ladies team of the famous UK pro soccer club Nottingham Forest as well as being assistant director of its girls’ centre of excellence. She still plays midfield for her local team.

Her 12-year career includes, as does Jamie’s, time spent coaching in the US but it will be her first visit to the Bahamas and she is very excited. Speaking this week from the city of Leicester, where she is currently working, she said: “I am really looking forward to working with the local coaches and the children. I am also really looking forward to relaxing on the beaches afterwards!”

The camp runs from June 21 until June 25 and as usual will be hosted by the Freeport Rugby Football Club on East Settlers Way, using the extensive playing and practice pitches. Organisers are expecting the usual turnout of almost 200 kids for many of whom it is the high point of the year.

The price is being held at $175 for the fourth year in a row, reflecting the tough times people are experiencing on the island. For that the youngsters get lunch, fruit morning and afternoon, six hours of coaching a day as well as lunchtime swimming for those whose who want a cooling dip, two full sets of uniforms, and a monogrammed camp T-shirt, making it the best value summer camp package – and about a third of the cost of similar events in the US. And any surplus is ploughed back into developing youth sport on the island.

Registration forms can be found on this website (link below) and are also available from Town and Country in Yellow Pine Street, Freeport, and Animale, at Port Lucaya. They can also be had by emailing derek.archer1@gmail.com

spurs fans apparently ! Best thing to come out of WHL for years

Where to next  for  Grand Bahama  Strollers ? we’ve done abaco so where next

• back to brazil paul now teaching there and i’m sure spellman still knows a few nuns there

• houston – fingers and lol both living the septic life and both rumoured to be in great shape

• turks – sure bob would be happy to see us

• miami – our over 45 opponents are even older than us

• Dominican or cayman – the splinter group from the miam boys above ( ie the trini clan) looking for 5 to 7 intrepid travellers to join them on travels down south

Any other suggestions or do we need bert to make another impassioned plea at the next AGM ….

On behalf of the Freeport Rugby and Football Club we invite you to our first Annual James Bond evening “A View to a Thrill.”

This will be a major fundraising event to help in the ever present challenges of keeping our cherished non-profit organisation afloat in these financially difficult times.

Our Club has gone from strength to strength providing more and more young people with a stable and reliable place to practice their skills but providing this environment comes with an ever increasing cost.

These past couple of years we needed more space, we got it. We needed more equipment, we got it. We now need to be able to keep pace with the upward spiral in cost of everyday maintenance and unfortunately the need to rely on supportive, community minded people is necessary for us to keep striving forward as a club we can all be proud of.

With all that said we invite you to join us for what should be a spectacular evening full of fun, surprises and laughter…

Don’t forget, the more Bond trivia you know the better your chance of walking away with the Grand Prize.

It is important for us to know numbers in advance for the night so please let us know how many tickets you need by November 14th, 2009.

See you then,

Tony Johns (otherwise known as “M”)