Benfica bound with help from the PST

The Pars Supporters’ Trust are delighted to announce that the first recipient of an award from the Margaret Ross Memorial Fund will be Fife Elite Football Academy (FEFA) trainee Paul Allan.

Paul, who turned 17 this week and is a registered player with Dunfermline Athletic, has been selected to represent FEFA at a month-long training camp with Portuguese giants, Benfica. The youngster, a sixth-year pupil at St. Columba’s High School in Dunfermline has already turned out for the Pars Under 20 side this season on numerous occasions as a result of his performances with FEFA U16/17s.

The Memorial Fund was set up to provide a lasting tribute to PST Chair and DAFC Director Margaret Ross following her sudden and untimely death in December 2016. Drew Main, the PST’s Interim Chair commented “when we found out Paul had been selected for this fantastic opportunity at Benfica, it seemed like exactly the kind of thing the Memorial Fund should be used for. It had previously been decided by the PST Board that the beneficiaries of the Fund should come from the under 20’s or the academy as the welfare of these young players was something Margaret had a particular soft spot for and the PST are delighted to be able to help Paul in this way”.

The cost of the trip, which will run for the whole of April, is €2100 with the Margaret Ross Memorial Fund contributing £1000. Stephen Wright, Head of Academy Coaching at FEFA said “we are delighted for Paul in being given the opportunity to travel to Benfica for a month’s development training. On behalf of all at the Fife Elite Football Academy I would like to thank the Pars Supporters’ Trust for their financial support and interest in the Academy.

It is very much appreciated. For Paul, the training programme at Benfica will be great preparation for the next stage of his development as a full time footballer which is what we anticipate he will achieve”.

FEFA are still seeking funding for the remaining costs of this trip.

If you, either as an individual or as a business, would like to contribute, please contact Stephen Wright at stephen@fefa.club.

If you would like to donate to the Margaret Ross Memorial Fund or simply join the Pars Supporters’ Trust, please visit parssupporterstrust.co.uk.