Workington, Sat 19th Sep, 3:00PM (H)
We are incredibly proud to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Manchester FA Grassroots Club of the Year 2025/26 with the award ceremony being held on November 13th.
This recognition celebrates our commitment to creating opportunities for all, building confidence, bringing people together and ensuring that everyone, whatever their age, ability, gender or background, has a place to play, feel included and be part of our community.
During the 2025/26 season, our club continued to grow and develop as a truly inclusive community football organisation, supporting 25 junior and community teams alongside a huge range of football and community programmes.
Football for all ages and abilities
Our junior and community teams remain at the heart of the club, giving hundreds of young people the opportunity to develop their football, make friends and be part of a team.
But our offer goes far beyond traditional youth football. We provide recreational men’s and women’s football, creating opportunities for adults of all ages and abilities to enjoy the game in a relaxed, welcoming environment. We have formed some of the first women’s vets teams in the country and our men’s and women’s walking football sessions ensure that age doesn’t have to be a barrier to staying active, socialising and enjoying football.
We believe that a lifelong love of football can start at any age. Our Bury Ballers and Baby Ballers programmes give children aged 2–10 the chance to develop their confidence, coordination and football skills through fun, age-appropriate sessions.
These programmes are about much more than developing future footballers. They help children become active, make new friends and develop important social and physical skills from an early age.
We are also committed to growing the women’s and girls’ game. Our Wildcats and Squad Girls programmes provide girls-only football sessions, creating a positive and supportive environment where girls can enjoy football, develop their skills and build confidence alongside their peers. We want every girl who wants to play football to feel that there is a place for her at our club and that journey doesn’t have to stop as she gets older. Our strong girls’ provision feeds directly into a huge women’s football offer, creating opportunities for players to continue playing, progressing and staying involved in the game throughout their lives.
From introducing girls to football for the first time, through to recreational and competitive opportunities in adulthood, our aim is to create a genuine pathway that keeps women and girls connected to the game.
Football without barriers
Inclusion is fundamental to everything we do.
Our Comets pan-disability programme provides football opportunities for children with disabilities, ensuring that young people can enjoy the game in an environment designed around their needs.
We believe football should be accessible to everyone, and programmes such as Comets demonstrate our commitment to removing barriers and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to participate, belong and thrive.
More than just football
Our work doesn’t stop when the season ends. We deliver holiday clubs, in conjunction with the council, providing children and families with opportunities to stay active, have fun and engage with their community during school holidays.
Through our Community Trust, we also deliver initiatives designed specifically to support underrepresented and disadvantaged groups. This work is central to who we are. We recognise that not everyone has the same opportunities to participate in sport, and we are committed to using football as a vehicle for positive change – tackling barriers to participation, improving wellbeing, bringing communities together and creating opportunities for people who may otherwise be left behind.
Casey Lynchey, Head of Operations & Community:
“Being shortlisted for Manchester FA Grassroots Club of the Year is a fantastic recognition of the incredible work taking place across our club and wider community.
For us, football is about so much more than what happens on the pitch. It’s about creating opportunities for everyone, regardless of age, ability, gender or background, and using the power of football to bring people together.
I’m incredibly proud of our staff, coaches, volunteers and partners who work tirelessly to make our programmes possible.
From our youngest Baby Ballers through to our walking footballers, our women and girls’ programmes, pan-disability sessions and the work of our Community Trust, we are constantly looking at how we can remove barriers and reach people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate.
This shortlisting is a reflection of that collective effort, and everyone involved should be incredibly proud.”
A club at the heart of its community
Being shortlisted for Manchester FA Grassroots Club of the Year is a huge honour, but for us, the recognition represents something bigger than football. It represents the coaches giving up their time, the volunteers working behind the scenes, the parents supporting their children, the players turning up week after week and the community partners who help us make a difference.
Together, we are building a club where everyone has the opportunity to play, belong and be part of something bigger.
We also want to thank Manchester FA for their relentless support and commitment to helping us upskill our coaches, develop our workforce and bring new initiatives into our community. Their support has helped us continue to grow, improve what we offer and reach even more people through football. We’re incredibly grateful for the partnership and the opportunities they continue to create for our club and our community.
