User:Dfs339/Ashington Cougars FC

Ashington Cougars FC provides quality coaching and facilities for boys and girls in West Sussex. The teams play in the Horsham and District Youth Football League against teams such as Southdown Rovers, Steyning Strikers, Cranleigh, Storrington Vipers and Copthorne. The club attracts players from Ashington as well as the surrounding villages of Partridge Green, West Chiltington, Washington, Thakeham as well as some from further afield such as Amberley, Storrington and Henfield due to the quality of the training and ability of the teams.

The club has recently been awarded FA Charter Development Standard, one of only 15 clubs in the whole of Sussex at the time of presentation. The Charter Standard Scheme sets standards for coaching, administration and child protection for all clubs outside the Premier League and Football League. As a benchmark for quality, it will improve the playing experience for all our teams raising standards, improving coaching, First Aid and Child Protection etc. The development status goes one further and defines a 3-5 year plan of improvement / development of teams, coaches and the club.

Ashington Cougars were runners up in the inaugural County Times Community Awards in the “Sports Team of the Year” category. The club was one of many sports clubs from the Horsham District to be put forward for the award. The nomination applauds the club for club providing structured training and great club atmosphere for village youngsters. It also focuses on the fact that the club is run entirely by volunteers and that we have just celebrated our 10th year. The awards ceremony took place on the 1st October 2009 at the Capitol Theatre in Horsham and Stuart Wood, club chairman, along with several of the clubs managers were present to receive the award.