And a QPR Coach as well:
- QPR Academy Coach....
Times of Israel - A soccer stalwart finds Jewish life pitch perfect
Before
the Maccabiah, Scott Shulton was relatively uninvolved in London’s
community. Now he’s a coach and mentor to hundreds of Jewish students
By AARON KALMAN July 15, 2013, 11:16
Four
years ago, after weeks of pleas, Scott Shulton succumbed to pressure
from a number of friends and agreed to join England’s soccer team at the
Maccabiah Games, a mere 11 days before the event started. That
decision, he recalls, “changed my life.”
Participation
in the Maccabiah marked the start of a special Jewish journey, in which
Shulton went from being a relatively uninvolved member of London’s
Jewish community to heading the school soccer program for Maccabi Great
Britain and coaching hundreds of Jewish schoolchildren per week. In July
he’ll participate in his second Maccabiah, this time as manager of
England’s junior team.
The
23-year-old Shulton grew up in London’s Jewish schools, but dedicated
his life to becoming a professional ball player. As a result, he told
The Times of Israel in a recent interview, he “was never involved in the
Jewish stuff outside of school. I had four or five practices a week. I
didn’t go on tour [to Israel], because I couldn’t miss practice.” First
in Watford FC’s children’s department and later, as a member of Wycombe
Wanderers’ youth squad, “I was always training.”
Before
the 2009 Games, he was in the midst of contract talks with a number of
professional teams, and refused initial requests to join the Jewish team
from Great Britain. However, when one of the squad’s members injured
himself weeks before the tournament, “I ended up saying ‘Yes’ to
something I never imagined happening.”
The
Maccabiah “changed my life on its Jewish side,” he says. “To be able to
go to Israel for a football tournament couldn’t have been more
perfect.”
During
the tournament, “I was so focused on what I needed as a player, I
didn’t really have time for much else. I enjoyed the trips and sights,
but to me it was all about the next match,” Shulton recalls his
experience, and is still frustrated that the team ended up losing the
finals to Argentina, in penalties. The plan for his upcoming trip to
Israel, he says, is “to take a step back and enjoy being in Israel.
Admire the country.”
Four
years after that first Israel and Maccabiah experience, Shulton still
enjoys playing the game, but dedicates most of his time to teaching it. Not long ago he joined the coaching staff of Queens Park Rangers (QPR), one of London’s oldest and most prestigious clubs. In
addition, he’s been coaching England’s junior Maccabiah team — which he
led to the gold in Vienna, at the 2011 European Maccabi Games.
“Maccabi
GB contacted me about working with them. Two-and-a-half years on, I’m
still there,” he describes how he moved from being a professional
athlete to a professional Jewish educator, coach, and mentor. “Four
years ago, I would have said ‘No, no chance.’ But since that call, I’ve
worked in four schools … teaching almost 600 kids a week about skills,
coordination, game planning.”
Shulton
says that even when he was less involved, being part of the Jewish
community in London was a given. “Being able to give back to the
community is great.”
On
Sunday, a plane with dozens of British-Jewish athletes, including
Shulton’s team, landed at Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport. He has high
expectations of the 2013 Maccabiah, both on and off the pitch.
Cautious
and respectful of the other teams, the coach believes his team will
make it through the first stage and into the knockout rounds. As most of
the players on the squad played together with him in Vienna, he states
the goal is to “continue to win matches. We’ve proven we can do it.”
However, he warns, in knockout stages with everything dependent on one
game, “the best teams don’t necessarily win.”
Besides
sports, Shulton says, the Maccabiah is about “feeling a connection that
is worldwide” with other people. Getting to know other coaches and
meeting new faces over a cold beer at the end of the day are on his
to-do list for the Games.
_______________________________________________
David McIntyre/West London Sport - Ferdinand and Young axed for Austria trip
Anton Ferdinand and Luke Young have been left out of QPR’s
squad for their pre-season trip to Austria along with Adel Taarabt and
Hogan Ephraim.
Ferdinand, sent on loan to Turkish club Burkaspor last season, is not in Rangers boss Harry Redknapp’s plans, while Young’s future has long been in doubt because of a hip condition.
Taarabt, who was sent home from the recent trip to Devon, is keen to leave the club before the new season starts, while Ephraim has been nursing an injury.
Jose Bosingwa, Joey Barton and Samba Diakite, whose Rangers careers are effectively finished, were also left out, as was keeper Julio Cesar – although QPR are still yet to receive a concrete offer for the Brazilian.
Ferdinand, Young and Bosingwa were instead named in the squad for an Under-21 match at Stevenage on Tuesday.
Striker Loic Remy, who has not featured during the pre- season campaign so far, did travel with the first-team squad to Austria, as did Esteban Granero despite the Spanish midfielder being likely to move before the start of the season.
Rangers are keen to sell Stephane Mbia, but he too made the trip.
Youngsters Michael Harriman, Max Ehmer, Frankie Sutherland and Mo Shariff are also with the senior squad. West London Sport
McLaren beats rivals to £25m QPR training ground
www.constructionenquirer.com/2013/07/17/mclaren-beats-rivals-to-25m-qpr-training-ground/
Grant Prior | Wed 17th July | 7:24
McLaren Construction is believed to have won the race to build a new £25m training ground for Queens Park Rangers.
The Enquirer understands that McLaren was given the good news this week.
The club is hoping to start work shortly but is facing a legal challenge from local residents over the plans.
The Elite Training Facility and Community Sports Complex will be built on the Warren Farm site in Southall and is due to be ready ahead of the 2015/16 season.
The training centre will provide: grass pitches for the first team and academy, an indoor 3G pitch, an outdoor 3G artificial pitch, extensive gym, sports science and rehabilitation areas, Academy classrooms, a large number of changing rooms, media, catering and grounds maintenance facilities.
Populous is architect for the scheme.
McLaren’s win comes after its successful delivery of Tottenham Hotspur’s new £45m training ground in Enfield.
The contractor is also working on the first phase of Spurs’ stadium redevelopment plans.
Ferdinand, sent on loan to Turkish club Burkaspor last season, is not in Rangers boss Harry Redknapp’s plans, while Young’s future has long been in doubt because of a hip condition.
Taarabt, who was sent home from the recent trip to Devon, is keen to leave the club before the new season starts, while Ephraim has been nursing an injury.
Jose Bosingwa, Joey Barton and Samba Diakite, whose Rangers careers are effectively finished, were also left out, as was keeper Julio Cesar – although QPR are still yet to receive a concrete offer for the Brazilian.
Ferdinand, Young and Bosingwa were instead named in the squad for an Under-21 match at Stevenage on Tuesday.
Striker Loic Remy, who has not featured during the pre- season campaign so far, did travel with the first-team squad to Austria, as did Esteban Granero despite the Spanish midfielder being likely to move before the start of the season.
Rangers are keen to sell Stephane Mbia, but he too made the trip.
Youngsters Michael Harriman, Max Ehmer, Frankie Sutherland and Mo Shariff are also with the senior squad. West London Sport
McLaren beats rivals to £25m QPR training ground
www.constructionenquirer.com/2013/07/17/mclaren-beats-rivals-to-25m-qpr-training-ground/
Grant Prior | Wed 17th July | 7:24
McLaren Construction is believed to have won the race to build a new £25m training ground for Queens Park Rangers.
The Enquirer understands that McLaren was given the good news this week.
The club is hoping to start work shortly but is facing a legal challenge from local residents over the plans.
The Elite Training Facility and Community Sports Complex will be built on the Warren Farm site in Southall and is due to be ready ahead of the 2015/16 season.
The training centre will provide: grass pitches for the first team and academy, an indoor 3G pitch, an outdoor 3G artificial pitch, extensive gym, sports science and rehabilitation areas, Academy classrooms, a large number of changing rooms, media, catering and grounds maintenance facilities.
Populous is architect for the scheme.
McLaren’s win comes after its successful delivery of Tottenham Hotspur’s new £45m training ground in Enfield.
The contractor is also working on the first phase of Spurs’ stadium redevelopment plans.
- Les Ferdinand Favourite for Swindon Town Managerial Job
