Doncaster & District FA make special presentation.
The inaugural Alick Jeffrey award for outstanding contribution to Doncaster grassroots football was presented to its first winner on Friday night at half time during the Dawson & Burges Doncaster & District FA Challenge Cup Final held at Doncaster Rovers Keepmoat Stadium.
The Doncaster & District FA are delighted to announce that the winner was Mr Eddie Beaglehole.
Eddie has committed almost his entire adult life to the promotion of sport, particularly football, in and around Doncaster. After commencing his first coaching badge in the late 1950’s, with the likes of Sir Bobby Robson, Eddie progressed until as Headmaster of Thorne Grammar School Eddie managed the England schoolboys in the 60’s/70’s.
Throughout his development as a coach, Eddie has worked in grassroots and schools football organising an annual event at High Melton where schools and grassroots clubs would come and stay and play each other, with teams from as far away as Israel. As his experience and qualifications increased, Eddie worked at a number of professional clubs, always with youngsters and worked tirelessly to assist in the development of children. From the coaching of, supporting and recommending footballers to Clubs, arranging tournaments, personal visits to football clubs, personal meetings with Footballers, attending presentations, taking footballers to trials etc., Eddie has spent his whole adult life pushing young footballers forward, helping those in grassroots, even if they didn’t make it, to be the best they could.
Eddie’s commitment has showed no bounds and even until today whilst caring for his wife he still does all he can to push junior football. In 2009, Eddie secured a field from a local farmer and created a foundation by being the club stalwart of Fishlake Falcons, founded with Eddies help in 2009. There are now 4 teams, last season 5 but the u16’s went into retirement when they discovered girls, with the u9’s managed by Nick Limber, a protégé of Eddie’s back in the 80’s who went on to play for Doncaster Rovers from where he was sold to Manchester City. Children have arrived to play at Fishlake purely because the father was coached at some point in his childhood by Eddie, including Mr Limber.
In the photograph Eddie can be seen being presented with the award by Doncaster & District FA president Mr David Ambler along with Mr Dean Edwards who nominated Eddie for this prestigious award.