On Wednesday, July 8, 2009, the Post reported...

A SCHOOL was awarded prestigious charter status by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) - four days before it closed down.

St Columba’s High was recognised as a centre of excellence for football after months of work to train up dedicated coaches, and recently received the SFA Quality Mark General Award. But staff and pupils now face doing it all again as the charter cannot be passed over when the school merges with St Andrew’s High at the St Peter the Apostle super campus in the new term.

Alan Taylor, head of SFA Youth central region, who was at St Columba’s to award the Quality Mark, said: “When the schools merge they will need to re-assess the folder [of work done to achieve the award].

“I certainly hope when the two schools come together they can carry on the hard work done to get this far.”

The youth football chief said awards are normally valid for three years, with three standards achievable.

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Gus McPherson and Stephen McGinn of Scottish Premier League side St Mirren came to St Columba’s to present the award, which is only the ninth to be given out to a high school in the country and the first in West Dunbartonshire.

To gain the certificate the staff and some senior pupils at St Columba’s gained an SFA level one badge, and three staff took their level two badge and completed first aid training.

The football coaches then drew up detailed development and action plans to show SFA chiefs how they planned to develop the skills of pupils at the Drumry school.

The St Columba’s teams then had to commit to fulfil all their season’s fixtures and worked closely with the council’s football development officer to come up with innovative training programmes.

Mr Taylor added: “St Columba’s has got the first level and hopefully after the summer they can move towards the next development award.”

St Columba’s also held its football prizes awards before they broke up, with John McGinn winning third year goal of the year and players’ player of the season.

Cameron Harkins won the S3 manager’s player of the year.

In first year, Christopher McLaughlin scored the goal of the season, Scott Cameron won the players’ award and Christopher Montgomerie was the manager’s pick.