The national boys and girls clubs’ conference to be held in Durham

Retired police sergeant Alan Watson has been involved with the Durham Association of Boys and Girls Clubs (DABGC) for more than 60 years, which is said to be a national record.

But it was as manager of the England Boys Clubs Under-16s’ football team which enabled him to help fulfil the dreams of some of the teenage prospects in his charge.

During his 18-year tenure, the national side lost only one game.

(Image: DABGC)

Among the fledgling players who played under his direction are the current Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick, who went on to enjoy a long playing career with West Ham, Tottenham and Manchester United, while also earning 34 caps with the England senior team.

(Image: Tom Banks)

Another teenage protégé to have first played internationally with the England Boys Clubs’ team was Newcastle United’s Dan Burn, who was with Blyth Town Juniors when Mr Watson first saw him play.

He went on to award him his first England cap, forecasting he would become, “the next Tony Adams.”

(Image: John Walton/PA)

As manager of the Durham association’s U16s and U18s teams he won five national titles and got to lead his team out at Wembley.

DABGC, established in 1933, has 600 volunteers supporting 5,000 members shared among 90 clubs in the former county area, between South Tyneside and the Tees Valley.

The association was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021 and celebrated its 90th anniversary two years later.

(Image: The Northern Echo) During the last three decades the Durham association’s sporting luminaries have included international footballers, both men and women, professional boxers, Olympians and one world record breaking long-distance athlete.

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Mr Watson, one of the DABGC’s two executive youth officers, is helping to organise the national association’s annual conference at the Ramside Hall Hotel, near Durham, at the end of September.

It will bring together representatives from the four home countries.

During his six decades as a volunteer Mr Watson, from Crook, has been awarded the BEM, MBE, and recognised with a string of world, national and regional honours, earning the praise of national and international youth organisations for his outstanding contribution.