Women’s Team Manager receives CFA Award
Bingham Town FC is delighted that our very own Women’s Team Manager, Matt Lawson has been given the prestigious Nottinghamshire FA award for 2020.
This was Matt’s reaction when presented the award by Nottinghamshire FA:
“There are so many good coaches in the area, it’s very much shared. This award is for all of our players and for all the people at Bingham Town Football Club. Behind the scenes, every club has people going above and beyond to create the right environment for coaches to focus on the football”.
Grassroots football is driven by those who give so much that keep all our clubs going and in partnership with the FA, football is sticking together despite a difficult year.
This is echoed by Matt when reflecting on the year he and assistant manager Julian Wilson have had. “Being involved with the Nottinghamshire FA this year has been really beneficial. The quality of coach delivery on the courses is superb, alongside all the opportunities to learn about how to become better. Every coach is always improving and there are new ideas to bring into your training. We now know more about how fitness, diet and modern coaching can help players at all levels of the game. Above all, it has to be fun for the players, something Julian and I input to every session we do”.
Leanne Woodhead-Groves, Notts FA Head of Football Operations, said “Football is thriving in Nottinghamshire and our awards reflect the good work going on. Matt invests a lot of time into the team, creating a happy place for players to develop their skills. It’s clear to see that the players enjoy playing for this coach”.
Full Nottinghamshire FA article
Rob Harwood, Bingham Town FC Chairman said “Everyone at Bingham Town FC is absolutely delighted and very proud that our very own Matt has won the Coach of the Year (Adult) award from Nottinghamshire FA. It is thoroughly deserved not just for Matt’s great work with our Ladies’ team but also for the fantastic voluntary work/coaching that he does with underprivileged adults through Notts County in the Community which many will not be aware of.”
Emily Boaler, centre forward for Bingham Town FC Women’s team said “I’ve never come across a manager with such a deep and technical understanding of the game as Matt has. It is clear to see that Matt has not only worked in the game of football but has studied it thoroughly too.
He has the gift of being able to work with players and within a very short space of time is able to instantly pick up the strengths and weaknesses of each and every player. He has the technical knowledge behind him to know exactly what drills are needed to help each individual allowing for the team to improve as a unit.
Matt prepares and tailors the sessions carefully and always has a plethora of drills and activities up his sleeve which can be put into practice as and when required. In a very short space of time, I have listened and taken Matt’s comments on board and have seen a significant improvement in my fitness and performance.”
As you can see, Matt is a great asset to the club and is doing great things with the Womens’ team at Bingham, but many of you may not know that much about him. We tried to dig a little bit deeper and find out about Matt’s journey in football, his wider involvement in football, what makes him tick and his plans for the future:
Matt’s journey so far: “A stroke of good fortune led me to fall into coaching through working in sport science in professional football after graduating from the University of Nottingham. It was around the time former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson came to Nottingham, a real rollercoaster and the team won the Championship. Sven wrote the foreward to my Masters degree dissertation and I was hooked! I was around the players day to day, seeing different managers coach, learning from people. This led to me being able to do my coaching badges”
Wider involvement in football: “We were fortunate to be asked to manage the Notts County FC Inclusion team last year which has been real honour. This enables us to work with players from different backgrounds and put together a squad who are a pleasure to work with. It feels fortunate to have been involved with other clubs like Doncaster Rovers when they won promotion with Darren Ferguson, as well as Derby County and worked with the England Women’s national team.” Matt has also provided support to the Nottinghamshire FA Coaches Club with a workshop and articles on player nutrition.
Rewards and satisfaction: “The training ground (with the Women’s team) is always a good place to be. Our management team deserves huge credit for that, particularly Assistant Manager Julian Wilson, Libby Stukins, Holly Clarke and so many others that help us.
Putting on new, engaging sessions and seeing players improve is really rewarding. We like to have enthusiastic, positive people around us and create an environment that players enjoy. The squad we have built in the last 3 years has really clicked, they are a wonderful group and I think the players will remember this year for a long time. If you look at the football club as a whole, it’s an exciting time to be involved in and this award is for all the people at the club.
Plans for the future: “I’d like to progress with the UEFA A Licence”
Congratulations on your award Matt, very well deserved – from all at Bingham Town FC!SHARE