QPR Player Development Centre - encouraging Asian Participation in Football

The QPR in the Community Trust and West Middlesex & Hayes Youth Football League are pleased to announce details of a brand new Player Development Centre. This will run at Goals Soccer Centre, Springfield Road in Hayes, Middlesex. It was formally launched on Monday.

It will give players and coaches from all Clubs in the league the chance to learn key skills from QPR coaches, and is also an opportunity for players to be selected for the QPR Centre of Excellence.

R's Football Development Manager, Dave Robinson, said, "It's a fantastic initiative and something that I'm sure will be a great success for all concerned. While we have the chance of coaching and progressing players' skills, we are also providing the chance for local Club coaches to gain experience when working alongside our ones too."

"This area has always had a big connection to QPR. The Centre will provide the local Clubs with an opportunity to work alongside a Premier League Club, which has traditionally done a lot of good work in the community. We are also pleased that we will be engaging with many Asian players and coaches in an area that has great potential."

"Times are changing and cricket is not the only dominant sport among the Asian community any more. We aim to highlight this and nurture such talent."

Jonathan Mills, FA Equality Co-ordinator, added, "The Football Association is really pleased to support the launch of this initiative between the QPR Community Trust, West Middlesex and Hayes Youth League, and Inventive Sports' Jas Jassal, who has supported this process."

"This is a fantastic opportunity for youngsters from all backgrounds to experience top drawer coaching, delivered through a Premier League Football Club which will nurture and grow their talent. We are also extremely pleased that the Development Centre that will deliver this training will be in a predominantly-diverse community, and we hope that this will be an incentive to see more players coming through academies and centres of excellence."

West Middlesex and Hayes Youth Football League Chairman, Laurence Cummings, continued, "This is a great venture – and I'm told that we are the first youth league in the country to have a working relationship like this with a Premier League Club. I'm sure that our players, working with QPR, will learn plenty and go on to improve the standard of football within our league."

The Centre will run on a Monday evening between 6pm and 7.30pm at Goals Soccer Centre in Springfield Road, Yeading.

Anyone attending will have to be registered via the West Middlesex and Hayes Youth Football League.