Forth Valley College’s PR and Media Officer Stuart Hall, put his spare time during lockdown to good use by penning a memoir for a well-respected Scottish football coach.
Stuart has just released ‘Gordon Young: Licence to Skill’, an entertaining and engaging 20-year memoir from respected Scottish UEFA Pro Licence Coach Gordon Young. He was instrumental in developing the well-respected Motherwell FC Youth Academy – signing and mentoring Scottish football gems such as David Turnbull and Allan Campbell.
Stuart outlines Gordon’s journey which has seen him work as assistant to Craig Brown (the former Scotland manager provides the foreword to the book) and Archie Knox, Stuart McCall and Mark McGhee at Motherwell, and been International Academy Manager for Sheffield United based mainly in India. He was also assistant to Mixu Paatelainen at Dundee United and the Latvian national side, Barry Smith at East Fife and Paul Hartley at Falkirk and currently at Cove Rangers.
He also led Latvian league side FK Liepaja to the Europa League qualifiers, and spent a year as Director of Coaching at Impact Soccer in California, USA.
Stuart, said: “I have known Gordon for more than 30 years and played football with him towards the end of his career. Lockdown was a time of reflection for everyone and I was happy to help Gordon bring his 20 year coaching journey to the page during my spare time. Hopefully, people who read the book will enjoy it as much as I did when writing it, as his stories are really funny and engaging as well as giving a fascinating insight into the world of football.
“I have helped Gordon detail his experiences and adventures in a simple, engaging and entertaining way. I hope readers will laugh-out-loud over his tales involving the great and the good of the football world – including former Scotland manager Craig Brown who provides the foreword – and relish in Gordon’s refreshing football philosophy and delight in his continual personal and emotional take on the sport he loves. The book could be an ideal stocking filler, but not for kids as there are a few wee sweary words in there!
“I would also like to thank my friend and colleague David Aitken who in his spare time designed the front, back and inside covers of the book – they look fantastic. As far as photos to illustrate the story go, I thought I would take some of my own medicine and ask myself to pose doing something a little out of the ordinary, like I have asked all my brilliant Forth Valley College colleagues to do when writing stories about them. Hope this is a little bit of payback.”
Details of how to buy the book can be found on the following link https://licencetoskill.easyecom.co.uk or by visiting the ‘Gordon Young: Licence to Skill’ Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LicenceToSkill , which also has filmed interviews with Gordon and various photographs from his 20 year career.
Photos taken by Emma Grainger.
