A year ago today
Last updated : 16 March 2007 By Tony Scholes
 | Vince Overson demonstrates the new video camera with the smart board in the background. He's watched by Terry Pashley, Andy Baron, Jeff Taylor and Tony Yates. Picture kindly supplied by Burnley Express |
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Year of the Youth was originally set up to try and raise £200 to sponsor a youth team player but by the time we'd reached the Bridge for the launch, where we were joined by Head of Youth Development Vince Overson and manager Steve Cotterill, the total had already gone past £2,000.
Vince told everyone that the money raised would be used to put towards an interactive touch-sensitive smart board system and the basic package was around £3,600. We pledged then to try and raise the full amount.
Manager Steve Cotterill added: "The smart board will definitely be a great tool. Football is changing and I think players are getting more in to technology. If you can introduce them to that very early they will learn."
So how's the year gone? We did raise the £3,600, in fact we raised £6,000 to enable them to buy all the add ons, and since then we've handed over another £2,300 to buy some other items. The fundraising has been so successful that we already have a further £7,000 and by the time the year draws to a close in the summer we hope to have reached an incredible total of £20,000.
By next week we hope to be able to tell you what the rest of the money will be used for. The Youth Development team at Turf Moor have put together some items they would like and it is just a matter of prioritising them. I think there could be some exciting news.
This day a year ago was very much an exciting day for Clarets Mad, the Clarets had signed Phil Bardsley too and the day after Andy Gray joined us. It's been an exciting, an enjoyable and definitely a rewarding year as far as Year of the Youth is concerned.