A VALE of Clwyd sports club is one of the very best in Wales.

Hitting the back of the net is Denbigh Town Football Club's junior section, which has been awarded Platinum accreditation status by the Football Association of Wales (FAW) under the club accreditation programme.

This programme scrutinises how junior football clubs in Wales are structured and operate.

The Platinum award is the highest level of accreditation the FAW can award a club, assessing the number and quality of coaches, club governance and equipment, and that arrangements are in place to ensure a positive experience for all players.

The award applies to all 14 junior teams at Denbigh Town FC - ranging from the under-six age group all the way through to under-16s.

Throughout Wales, only five per cent of clubs achieved Platinum status last season, demonstrating the outstanding efforts of the Denbigh club to achieve the accreditation.

As well as volunteering their own time as coaches, Chris Hughes and Mark Jones put in additional voluntary hours as committee members and have been leading the work in putting the accreditation application together.

Chris said: “It’s a massive achievement to be awarded Platinum status.

"It demonstrates how well set up we are as a club and we are now one of the top junior clubs in Wales.”

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There are 32 junior coaches at Denbigh Town Juniors, all with a UEFA/FAW coaching certificate.

The coaching team, all volunteers, hold qualifications ranging from the entry level Football Leaders Award, through to the top level, the UEFA Pro Licence which is required to manage at professional and international level.

All coaches are required to hold a valid Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate, attend first aid training and complete safeguarding training as a minimum requirement.

Richard Jones, the chairman of Denbigh Town Juniors, said: “This is a great club.

"We have a record number of coaches guiding our players through the game and each one of them works extremely hard.

"They’ve also put in plenty of extra hours into their own coach education development which means we’ve been in a great position when the FAW assessed us for this Platinum award, so a huge thank you to every coach.

“Last year we were assessed at standard level.

"Our committee has worked tirelessly over the last 12-18 months to put us in the position a club like Denbigh Town deserves to be in.

“We’ve made huge steps in a really short space of time thanks to some unbelievable commitment from individuals within the junior section.

"There has been a big investment in coach education, equipment, facilities, coach recruitment, improving links with the club and professionalising everything we do. And we’re not stopping there - we want to keep improving.”

Junior club secretary Mark Jones added: “The primary aim of any football club should be to give young people a positive and safe environment to enjoy football.

"That's what we all want for our own children when they sign up, so it's great to see so many kids wanting to play at the football club, reinforcing that we are achieving that goal.

"The higher standards that have now been set here off the pitch contribute to better standards of football.

"Better coaches means better players. Since forming the new committee in late 2020, our aim has been to make this club the best it can be.

“The fact that we now have more qualified coaches than ever, more players than ever and full squads at every age group shows the hard work is paying off.

“We want to provide a pathway for players to progress into adult football, and to see Denbigh Juniors' players making their way into the first team eventually.

"Gaining the Platinum status is a fantastic achievement that shines such a positive light on the club."