Footballing Youngsters Receiving A Sporting Boost From Linden Homes
19 May 2015

Sporting youngsters from Leicestershire have been celebrating the beautiful game with a brand new kit – thanks to Linden Homes Midlands.

Players from the Under 11s Whetstone Panthers have been showing off their smart new look during training, and at a visit to the town’s Trinity Brook development.

The sponsorship deal is the latest in a line of community engagement projects for the area being undertaken by Linden Homes, who are building a range two, three and four-bedroom homes off Cambridge Road.

And the move has added to the growing success of the team, which has risen like a phoenix from the flames following a set-back caused by a fire to its clubhouse, and a subsequent decline in the number of players.

However, the hard work of the many volunteers who support the club, the teams and the young players, has paid off – with the Panthers (and new team, Whetstone Jaguars) now attracting keen young footballers from seven local schools.

One of the many volunteers is commercial director at Galliford Try investments, Lee Simmons – who also acts as referee on match days.

Lee’s son Daniel plays for the team, and his older son James is an occasional linesman. Lee’s wife Sally helps out on the financial side.

Lee said: “The club as certainly been through some rough times since it was founded in 1976, and was originally called Oadby Town Juniors.

“At one time it was one of, if not the most successful Junior Club in the county. In the mid nineties the club suffered a major set back when the clubhouse was burned to the ground. It took the club several years to recover from this, and eventually thanks to the efforts of numerous volunteers involved in various fund raising exercises, the clubhouse was rebuilt. The club changed its name to Whetstone Juniors FC in 2007.

“Today, we have a flourishing grassroots section and run 15 teams, and our ground is recognised as one of the best football set-ups in the county.”

Lee added: “The Panthers and Jaguars coaching teams all volunteer their time and with the assistance of other parents we continue to work together developing the players and creating a fun environment for the boys to progress. We are thrilled and very grateful to Linden Homes for their generous sponsorship. We all think the new shirts looks fantastic.”

Linden Homes area sales manager Bev Bray said: “The club has experienced quite a lot of ups and downs over the last 40 years, but we hope that the new look kit will take them on to even more success and bigger and better things.

For more details about Trinity Brook, the show home and sales and marketing suite are open from Thursday to Monday from 10.30am until 5pm. Alternatively contact the sales team on 0844 6442850.

-ENDS-

For further press information please contact Cetti Long at Media Matters on 01733 371363 or email cetti@mediamatters-pr.co.uk

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