Monday 16th February 2015
THE plans are clear: Dumbarton FC intend their youth academy to thrive and youth guru Richie Salveta’s ambitions are also set high.
Newly appointed Salveta, who officially took up his role on February 9th, has all the enthusiasm you’d expect of a coach in his element.
“This is a dream job for me, and I’m settling in well.
“I am delighted to have been considered and then offered the head of youth role at the club.
“Following a long chat with the club directors, it became quickly evident that our ideas on how we want to take the club forward at youth level are aligned and that my view of the role is the same as theirs.”
Coming in to a new job is always daunting, however Richie is inheriting a system that is working well.
He said : “I must thank Tony Gervaise well for his efforts over the past eighteen months overseeing the academy.
“He was able to maintain and build on the good foundations laid by former manager and then head of youth Jim Chapman.
“I will be looking to take the club forward with the help of all the youth staff.”
Richie, as well as taking on the head of youth duties, provides a service to the first team by acting as manager Ian Murray’s eyes and ears at away games as a match analyst.
“It was important to speak with manager Ian Murray and receive his backing to take on the role before I accepted the position”, said Salveta.
“We have a good working relationship and that will continue to thrive.”
One of the tasks facing Salveta as he gets to grips with the job, is to make improvements with communication and how the YDI is perceived by the wider Dumbarton support.
He said: “We are really short in getting the message out as to what it is we do at the academy.
“I aim to rectify this and I’ve had a few ideas on how we can go forward and the Sonstrust are willing to help.
“We will be aiming to get as much info out as we can on how each of the teams are doing via the club website and social media. It’s a simple fix and one we can implement quickly.
“Due to the club’s rapid rise through the SPFL leagues and consolidation in the Championship, it has become a bigger job for our youth development department to ready our players coming through the academy for this level of football.
“For us to reach these targets, the whole club and all our working partners will have to continue to work positively together.”
There is no doubt that Salveta brings a lot of passion to what is a very important position at DFC, and on this attribute alone, success, whilst not guaranteed, will be not be for the want of trying.
Alan Findlay