Queen’s Park’s Club Academy Scotland Elite Status stands up to inspection

Queen’s Park FC were awarded Club Academy Scotland (CAS) “Elite” Status for a three-year period from January 2023 following the assessment a couple of months earlier with keeping hold of that rank subject to inspections during that time.

The Scottish FA define, operate and partially fund the Academy System, alongside running a matches programme, using the CAS programme as its benchmark.

It looks to measure the development of players from the age of 11 to 18 with clubs assessed against set criteria and a set of Measurable Performance Outcomes. These outcomes can change during the term that Elite Status has been granted for.

Factors such as domestic and international appearances for home-grown players, coaching qualifications, facilities, talent identification, sports science, and medical set-ups are all assessed when looking at how Queen’s Park run their Academy.

Club President Graeme Shields said: “Securing Elite status was a tremendous achievement for Queen’s Park and ensuring that our standards are still as high, if not higher, some 18 months later is another tremendous achievement.

“Our Academy Director, Tommy McIntyre, and his team have done a great job and holding Elite status allows our young players to compete at the highest level of youth football in Scotland.

“We are a club that is committed to developing our own players and delivering at an Elite level in categories such as child welfare, coaching, education, medical care and sport science is tangible evidence of that commitment.”

Academy Director Tommy McIntyre said: “The CAS programme is not just about planning to hit targets set by the Scottish FA every three years. At Queen’s Park we are consistently looking to raise the bar on a regular basis and it is highly important that we continually evolve with the demands of the modern game and meet those requirements consistently, rather than waiting for an audit in two years’ time.

“I would like to personally thank everyone at Queen’s Park for their continuous support and hard work in meeting CAS standards and delivering at a high level. To meet the standards, it is not just about building teams on and off the pitch. It’s about a collaborative approach, having a strong work ethic and for everyone to feel valued and an important part of what we are trying to achieve here at Queen’s Park.”