Full name Edusport Academy Managing Director Chris Ewing Manager Ricky Waddell Date founded 2011 | Ground Capacity 2,504 Head coach Ricky Waddell Ground Galabank | |
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League South of Scotland Football League 2015–16 South of Scotland Football League, 2nd | ||
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Edusport Academy is a residential football academy for young French footballers, based in Scotland. The academy was founded in 2011 and was initially based at the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, before relocating to Lesser Hampden in Glasgow in 2015. A second centre based in Edinburgh opened in 2014. An Edusport Academy team has also competed in the senior South of Scotland Football League from the 2014–15 season onwards, the only private academy to do so in a recognised senior league. South of Scotland matches were initially played at the Hamilton Palace Sports Ground in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, before moving to Galabank in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, from 2015.
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History
The Edusport Academy was founded in 2011 by Chris Ewing with the aim of helping talented young French footballers to develop their skills in football and the English language, and gain opportunities with British professional clubs. Initially, the main training venues were the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, and the Hamilton Palace Sports Ground in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, with English classes taking place at New College Lanarkshire. Edusport expanded in 2014, opening an Edinburgh centre with training at Ainslie Park and education at Edinburgh College. In 2015, they decided to relocate from Motherwell to a new Glasgow base; the Academy now trains at Lesser Hampden with educational classes at Glasgow Clyde College.
In June 2014, Edusport Academy successfully applied for membership of the semi-professional South of Scotland League in the sixth tier of the Scottish football league system, becoming the first private football academy in the world to operate a team in a FIFA-recognised senior league. They made further Scottish football history in a league match against Creetown in September 2014, when they first fielded a team composed entirely of French nationals. The senior team won two trophies in their first season, the South of Scotland League Cup and the Cree Lodge Cup.
Edusport applied to move up a level to the Lowland League in 2015, but their application was rejected.
Four women were added to the Edusport Academy programme in 2015. They are based at the Edinburgh centre and will gain senior experience through a partnership with Spartans of the Scottish Women's Premier League.
Stadium
For the first season, South of Scotland League home matches were played at the Hamilton Palace Sports Ground. From 2015 onwards, the team are groundsharing with Annan Athletic at their Galabank stadium in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway.
Academy staff
As of 12 November 2015