Cork City legend Alan Bennett ready for an exciting new role

FORMER Cork City player Alan Bennett appeared to be heading to a career in secondary school teaching but the former Brentford defender decided to take up a new challenge recently after being offered a role with the FAI and Cork City Sports Council.

Bennett, who finished his playing career in November 2020, had been teaching in Presentation Brothers College up to the end of last year but was swayed by his love of football to begin his new career path.

“I graduated from UCC last summer and was very fortunate to be offered a position to teach in Presentation Brothers College this school year. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and extremely thankful for how understanding and accommodating they have been with regards to me starting my new role.

“My new role is a football development officer in Cork City. The role is funded by both the FAI and the Cork City Sports Council. It’s a job I did apply for in the past but for some reason or another it never materialised but I was delighted to be offered the role this time.

“I definitely think having done the teaching course and taught in a school, that has helped me in terms of the planning involved in teaching and the planning that will be involved in my role going forward.

“There is a variety of areas I will be looking to develop in the city, everything from walking football to schools five-a-sides. So it involves everyone. It’s about developing football and it’s something that I love doing.

From my point of view; it’s player focused. Take for example grassroots football. It has to be safe. It has to be an enjoyable environment.

“That it challenges the players. That they are motivated to reach their potential. That there is a purpose to why they are participating.

“The chain then goes from player to coach, to team, to club, to league, to association because without the player, there is no coach, without the coach there is no team, etc. I’m just dealing with all of those stakeholders.

“My main focus is to move the sport on. I think soccer is getting left behind compared to other sports. There’s been a huge culture change in the FAI and I want to be part of that.

“I’m looking at bringing the game forward in Cork city and I think it’s up to everyone involved in the sport to move and work together going forward so that soccer is not left behind other sports. “

“With the Cork City Sports Council they have target groups in mind in terms of inclusiveness of everyone. To try and get people from different backgrounds to get involved in society through sport, which is great because it gives diversity to the job.

PARTICIPATION

“I think soccer for girls and women has developed in recent years and there is a programme for that to continue and to increase. The programme is mindful that there seems to be a drop off of girls’ participation in the sport at a certain age and it’s something I will be geared to focus on that trend does not continue.

“From the FAI’s focus; it’s everything to do with just developing the sport. It starts from grassroots. This is a rallying call for everyone who loves the sport in Cork City to help the sport progress.

“I will ultimately be focusing on sustaining and increasing participating levels. Coach education, Football for All are examples of areas I will be working in. Pathways not just for players but for the referees, for coaches, schools, for teams and for the club. There are 11 areas in which I am involved in, information on all those areas is on the FAI website.

“It’s not just a case of me meeting a club and putting on a training session. If a club contacted me, my response would be for them to get the appropriate stakeholders involved in the area needed for them in a room.

“Minimum standards in terms of safeguarding and child welfare etc. With coaches, I could talk about coach education: minimum standards in session planning and development. Maybe it’s futsal or walking football programme they want to set up. Setting up an environment for Football for All.”