Coach Frank is still on the ball

FRANK Wolstenholme, with some of the youngsters he coaches

IN THE highly insecure world of football, Frank Wolstenholme stands out like a beacon having just completed 25 years as a coach at Athletic’s centre of excellence.

It is a remarkable length of service bearing in mind the instability in football where the average tenure of a manager is less than two years.

And during his quarter of a century at Boundary Park, Frank has served nine managers and seen massive changes in the way young players are nurtured.

Yet it has been a labour of love for Frank, who spends two evenings each week working with the under-12s and then taking them for matches on Sunday morning.

Frank, a health and welfare manager with Manchester City Council, said: “It is hard to believe I have been at the centre of excellence for so long as the time has flown by.

“I can honestly say I have enjoyed every second and gained a lot of satisfaction helping youngsters to improve their games.”

Frank was invited by former chief youth scout Graeme Hollinshead to become goalkeeper coach for the centre of excellence in 1983.

As a player Frank had spells at Blackburn Rovers and Stockport County but was predominantly a non-league player, making his first-team debut for Ashton United’s at the age of 15 and also starring for Droylsden, Curzon Ashton and Glossop.

And life at the centre of excellence was far removed than today as it was a far smaller operation.

He explained: “It was the days of the plastic pitch and we would train on that. Bill Urmson would work with the 15/16 year-olds and Willie Donachie and Graeme Hollinshead the younger lads.”

There was also the occasional guest coach as Royle and Donachie would use their connections in the game.

Frank explained: “The coaches changed in the referee’s room at Boundary Park and I would be sat there when the likes of Colin Bell and Rodney Marsh, star players in my eyes, would turn up.

“It was great for the lads and on one occasion they couldn’t get the ball off Rodney. It is little things like that which stick in my mind.”

Frank spent about 18 years working primarily with the goalkeepers, three of his protégés being England under-21 player Paul Gerrard, who later had a big-money move to Everton, Lee Darnborough and Andrew Woods, who both became England schoolboy internationals.

But he also worked with players like Paul Bernard, Paul Rickers and Richard Graham who became first-team regulars.

Frank then coached the under-10s for a while - with that intake including Daniel Philliskirk and Aaron Chalmers who both became trainees, Philliskirk later landing a dream move to Chelsea.

And in recent years he has managed the under-12s, so works with a different group each season.

Today the centre of excellence has a far different look to 1983 with teams in every age group from under-9s to 16s and Frank says Tony Philliskirk has made it professional in its operation as well as being a top coach.

And of the nine managers he has served, Frank selects his favourites, saying Royle was always positive with the lads while Iain Dowie and Andy Ritchie also had a lot of time for the centre of excellence.

Frank is also delighted that John Sheridan and Tommy Wright are the current management team.

“Tommy previously coached the under-16s and John has managed the youth team so they bring continuity as they know how the centre of excellence works, and they do a brilliant job,” he explained.

While Athletic has become a major part in Frank’s life, it has also become a family affair as his 23-year-old daughter Michelle works alongside him as she is the centre’s chartered physio.