Alan Crocker

When a small group of parents got together in Spring 2000 to create a children's football club, little did they know how much they were tapping into the need of a small rural village and beyond. There were enough children to create one team of 7 year olds, now Derry Hill United Football Club has grown to support over 200 children age 6 to 16. Founder and Chair, Alan Crocker is the driving force behind the Club. His enthusiasm, hard work, and boundless energy ensure the Club has grown strong and now supports 14 squads to play some 250 matches in a season.

In addition, to his management role, Alan has a host of other jobs including webmaster, volunteer coordinator, press officer, fund-raiser and coach. In 2004, Alan was presented with the Football Association's "National Charter Standard Coach of the Year Award" at an England World Cup match. "With all the hours I spend on Club management and development it was great to get acknowledgement for the bit I love, coaching the kids," says Croker. He continues, "Sometimes it feels like we are running a small business. As the Club has grown we have had to put more infrastructures in place to keep thing running smoothly. Our volunteers include a small management team, qualified coaches, team secretaries, a Child Protection Officer, grounds men, social events helpers and a refreshments team." Alan volunteers 20-30 hours per week for Derry Hill United Cub.