Basingstoke Town Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Ben Cook as Lead Academy Coach and Development Specialist, in a full-time role working closely alongside Academy Manager Aaron Nicholson.
The exciting appointment of Cook brings a wealth of experience and passion for youth development to our growing Academy set-up. Ben, a First Team player at the club already, joins the coaching staff at Basingstoke Town’s Academy after a successful 7 year coaching stint at JMA Reading, where he honed his coaching skills and made a significant impact on young players.
Academy Manager Aaron Nicholson is thrilled to have Ben on board: “I’ve known Ben for a long time obviously, but more importantly for this role, known him to be a fantastic coach and someone who matches my beliefs and the club’s beliefs around youth development. Ben brings in a wealth of experience after his fantastic work at JMA Reading and is a familiar face to many of the lads already through his coaching within our Youth set-up.
With the year coming to an end in regard to this season, myself and Cook will be looking to set in place a fresh new look for the Youth, Community and Full-Time Academy here at Basingstoke to take it to the next level.”
Cook himself is excited about the new challenge: “I am delighted to be onboard. I have seen this club turn a massive corner in the last 4-5 years and I’m incredibly lucky to have been part of it as a player.
I’m excited to have been offered the opportunity to further the progress of the club in a different way. Helping the youth come through and to hopefully see lots more success stories to go along with the already great work the club has done.”
This appointment signifies Basingstoke Town FC’s continued commitment to fostering a thriving youth program, community football offerings and creating a clear pathway for talented youngsters to progress.
Cook will officially begin his role at the beginning of April. Thanks to JMA Reading for their co-operation in this matter.
There are still places available in Basingstoke Town’s open training session and places to join the Academy available for next season. For more information please email aaron.nicholson@btfc.co.uk
Please join us in welcoming Ben to his new role at the club!