Former Sunderland and Darlington star on his new role

Mar 6 2011 by Steve Brown, Sunday Sun

BY his own admission, Martin Gray wasn’t the brightest at school. Football was all, learning a distant second.

Now though, the former Sunderland and Darlington star – who started and ended his playing career in the Northern League – is doing his bit to ensure kids follow a different path . . . by using football coaching to inspire education.

And the 39-year-old insists he gets as much satisfaction from seeing kids develop – on the pitch and in the classroom – as he ever got from the game.

“It’s great to see the kids pick up on what we’re trying to do and progress,” said Gray, a UEFA pro-licence coach.

“I’m not embarrassed to admit that I didn’t do too well at school. Education didn’t engage me as a kid.

“When I set up the Martin Gray Football Academy last summer I thought a lot about what football can do.

“I sought out a former teacher of mine, David Mills, an ex-deputy head with 35 years teaching experience and who had helped me through my education.

“With his help, I came up with a football education programme. We basically use football to encourage kids into learning, and we tailor every programme to each schools’ needs. Now I go into schools with David and it’s going very well.”

Keiran and Reece Johnson, aged 13, agree. “We really love the football and it makes us want to learn in the classroom,” they said.

As part of an ‘education enrichment plan’, Gray is currently working with Sunnydale Community College, St John’s CofE Primary School and Timothy Hackworth Primary School in Shildon, and Greenfield Community Arts College, Byerley Park Primary School, Walworth Special School, Vane Road Primary School, St Mary’s Primary School and Stephenson Way Primary School in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

Gray added: “I take one group for a period of football coaching, and the other half of the class are taught things like numeracy and literacy by David, using aspects of football.

“For instance, they will learn about maths through scores and league tables, and about English by writing a story about their own football dream team.

“We take football into the classroom and it’s a great incentive to learn for kids with difficulties like I had.”

Michelle Postma, extended schools co-ordinator for all of the schools across Shildon and Newton Aycliffe, introduced them to Gray before Christmas, as well as applying for funding from two ‘Area Action Partnerships’ – Great Aycliffe and Middrige; and Shildon and Bishop Auckland. She said: “We are trying to narrow the achievement gap between the highest-performing pupils and the lower-performing pupils, and for our young people football is a great vehicle for engagement.

“The young people have really taken to the programme, including the girls, and the feedback from the teachers is also very positive.” Brian Riley, Great Aycliffe and Middrige Area Action Partnership – GAMP – co-ordinator, said: “The Aycliffe Grassroots Schools Football project is funded by GAMP, and the GAMP Board fully support the Martin Gray Football Academy as well as Michelle Postma and the extended schools service team.”

Angelina Maddison, co-ordinator for Shildon and Bishop Auckland Area Action Partnership, said: “We are pleased to be able to offer funding to this initiative.

“ It gives young people the opportunity to participate in positive activities.”

Andrew Farnell, headmaster of St John’s CofE Primary School, added: “Martin is such a positive coach, his approach encourages the children to think about more than just kicking a ball.

“They are so enthusiastic about receiving high-level coaching and come into the classroom just as enthusiastic.

“This is an innovative programme, inspiring children. It’s going really well.”

And Ron Milton, headmaster of Sunnydale Community College, said: “We’ve used Martin’s coaching as an intervention with 16 Year 8 boys and I personally think it’s been a great success.

“It’s using football as a vehicle to develop not just football skills, but leadership, responsibility and teamwork, and it’s had a really positive impact.”

Employing qualified and fully-CRB-checked staff – including fellow ex-Sunderland star Brian Atkinson – Gray added: “It’s not about levels of talent, it’s about improving their education and sporting ability, social skills, health and confidence in an exciting and radical way.

“It’s very rewarding. Life in professional football can make you become selfish – it’s all about how much you earn and you don’t appreciate there’s a whole other world out there.

“When I see a kid’s life changing because of what we’ve done through this programme, it really is a special feeling.”

For further information, visit the website at www.martingrayfootball academy.co.uk