Huddersfield Town link up with ex-Carlisle United star's new sporting academy in Cumbria

The Terriers are teaming up with the Cumbria Institute of Sport, which is opening this year at Newton Rigg near Penrith.

The new initiative, combining coaching and education, is being spearheaded by former Blues favourite Darren Edmondson.

He is part of the Park View Academy in the north east which already has links with Huddersfield.

Now the Yorkshire club will monitor the young footballers who come through the new academy in Cumbria.

READ MORE: Former Carlisle United and Workington Reds man launching new sporting academy at Newton Rigg

Edmondson – who also played for the Terriers – said he was delighted the Championship club’s academy had agreed to work with them.

“From Park View we’ve got a good working relationship with Huddersfield Town, so conversations were fairly straightforward about them having an affiliation with us,” said Edmondson.

“They’ll have eyes on our lads, plus future applicants, as well as having another arm to their recruitment model, which is only to recruit at 16 and over.

“Emyr Humphreys, the academy manager at Huddersfield, was happy to run it past the board and I’m absolutely delighted they’ve accepted.”

The Cumbria Institute of Sport is being set up on the site of the former agricultural college at Newton Rigg.

The site’s new owners are revamping some of the existing sporting facilities there, with a new artificial football pitch in the process of being laid, and grass pitches set to be overhauled.

The new sporting institute will use sporting and education facilities at Newton Rigg

A first intake of students will start at the academy later this year with coaching in a number of sports on offer, as well as education in the form of a Level 3 Btec in sport, and a fitness diploma.

Edmondson says about 40 students have already signed up for the football programme, which will cater for those aged 16 to 19. An open event was held in Penrith last month.

He said the institute is designed to give school leavers from all corners of the county the chance to train professionally and play against clubs and academies in the region, whilst equipping themselves with skills and qualifications.

He also said it will give a greater opportunity for young sports people in Cumbria to showcase their talent.

On the Huddersfield connection, he added: “There might be boys in the county who don’t get taken in by our Cumbrian professional clubs, yet Huddersfield might think they like something in a particular player.

“What certain teams are looking for, another one isn’t; what one manager likes in one player, another one doesn’t.

“We’ll get the chance to go and play some games at [Huddersfield’s] training ground, and their coaches will come and watch us train and play.

“They’ll have eyes on more players, and trust our recommendations. This season with Park View a few have gone down there and although none have quite made it at the moment, they are still monitoring some.

“The development of young players and young humans is an ever-evolving picture. Some don’t mature properly until a later age and Huddersfield’s model is very much to work on the individual, maybe more so than some other clubs.”

Humphreys added: “The way our club runs with a B Team set-up rather than the traditional academy set-up allows us to be more creative with our recruitment and to work with different schools, colleges or private clubs across the UK, to provide opportunities for players to get into our academy.

“From our previous work with Darren, we know that he has similar talent ID and player development philosophies to us, so we’re pleased to be linking up with him and Cumbria Institute of Sport.

“We’re excited to see any talented individuals that come through the programme and offer them the chance to attend trials and matches with our academy, with a view to them progressing if they show the right attributes on and off the pitch.”