Deeping Rangers deny parent claim

By Robin Jones

DEEPING Rangers have denied a claim that a coach told the parent of a five-year-old Saturday morning soccer school participant that he was “not good enough” to continue attending.

The United Counties Premier North club were responding to a claim made in a national newspaper by the boy’s 38-year-old mother that he was left in tears after he and two others were deemed “not sufficiently talented enough” to remain at the school.

A statement from the Outgang Road outfit said: “The club have looked at the evidence provided by the coaching team containing messages from them and the parent involved, and flatly deny claims that any coach has detailed reasons for not being able to take a player on to a squad of ten being based around them ‘not being good enough’.

“Throughout participation in our soccer school, parents were advised that there will be a time when team selection is made and due to our limitations there maybe not enough space to accommodate all soccer school participants in the teams.

“Parents were advised on April 21 that we were considering the final squad allocations and that the unsuccessful participants would be given plenty of notice to try and allow the players to find alternative clubs. The process was carried out with the coaches’ FA guidance and training in mind.

“Deeping Rangers will look at our processes involved in this difficult decision to see if any improvements can be made and try to ensure that this type of situation does not occur in the future. We are sorry that this experience has caused the player and parent distress.”