We are delighted to announce that Belper Town FC Head Junior & Community Coach, Mark Alcock has been awarded the East Midlands Regional Coach of the Year by the Football Association.

Mark went forward to the National Awards with five other regional winners held at Nottingham Forest Academy in the summer, where he had to deliver coaching session in front of current England U21 Manager Stuart Pearce, Eric Harrison (McDonalds Head Coach and ex Man U Youth Coach) & Les Howie (FA Head of Grassroots).

Mark expressed surprise when he received a letter from the Derbyshire County Football Association saying “I knew that I had won thee County (Derbyshire) award but a week later I received another saying I had won the Regional award and I was being put forward for the final assessment in Nottingham.

“I don't coach for awards but I’m delighted to be recognised obviously”.

Dave Laughlin, Secretary at Belper Town FC said, “Everyone in the club, right through from the senior teams, junior teams and ladies sections, are all delighted by Mark’s success and he fully deserves this recognition as he has masterminded the development of the junior and youth coaches at our Club,

He works tirelessly to operate coaching sessions in the evenings and weekends and has built up a tremendous reputation locally as a farsighted and imaginative coach.

“He is always developing new ideas and schemes help to develop younger players to become better footballers.

“He also a committee member of the Belper Community Football Programme, a body set up to ensure sure that all sections of the local community can get involved in football, irrespective of their individual ability