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King’s Park Primary and Nursery School in Lurgan has become the first primary school in Northern Ireland to achieve a Gold Award under the Irish Football Association’s School Quality Mark programme.

Through the programme the association strives to maximise the number of schoolchildren exercising and playing football, enhance grassroots football, build capacity in schools and develop school and club links.

Irish FA Foundation Schools Manager Jonathan Michael said he was delighted to announce King’s Park as the first gold standard primary school under the School Quality Mark programme.

He pointed out: “King’s Park play in a variety of competitions throughout the year and always give the pupils the opportunity to participate. To be the first primary school to achieve the gold accreditation shows the school’s focus on football and the commitment of the staff to go above and beyond to provide after-school activities. 

“King’s Park’s structures and processes will be used as examples of best practice to assist other schools in gaining a quality mark accreditation.”

The Lurgan school won two national football finals this year (NISFA five-a-side and NISFA large school seven-a-side) and they are also Northern Ireland cross-country boys’ champions for the third year running and, for the first time, NI cross-country girls’ champions.

“The promotion of sport and in particular of football for both boys and girls has been very much part of our school’s development plan over recent years. King’s Park has a long history of producing footballers who have gone on to play at senior level in the Irish League and beyond,” said Ashton Shields, head of football at King’s Park.

“Over recent years we have developed a number of partnerships through which we have encouraged sporting excellence at all levels in our school. The catalyst for much of our recent success was the construction in 2012 of a full-size Multi-Use Games Area within our school grounds. 

“This surface has proved to be a major asset in developing all pupil participation, enjoyment of active learning and in coaching the finer skills over a wide range of sports, football being a major beneficiary.”

He also pointed out several teachers at the school have Irish FA coaching qualifications which are transferable to other sports, while football is a major ingredient of King’s Park’s extensive after school clubs programme. Futsal is also now part of that programme.

He explained Irish FA coaching and development personnel have been working in the school for several years - and their input has been greatly valued by staff and children alike.

The head of football further revealed Lurgan-based Irish Premiership side Glenavon have been “extremely encouraging” and have provided the school with coaches ranging from Level One to UEFA A and Pro level coaches. And another local side, Lurgan Town, have also played their part in developing the skills of the pupils attending King’s Park.

Northern Ireland’s Under-15 Schoolboys side drew their second and final tour game against Austria’s U15s.

After registering a scoreless draw in the first of their two international friendlies in Austria, the U15s drew 1-1 with their hosts in game two. 

The second game of their short tour to eastern Austria saw Northern Ireland play in temperatures reaching 35 degrees.

Austria started strongly in the match at the Lindabrunn Stadium at Enzesfeld-Lindabrunn. Denizcan Cosgun and Matthias Brunnoder combined well to carve open the Northern Ireland defence but Brunnoder's shot drifted past the post.

However, on 11 minutes the visitors missed a great chance to open the scoring. Barry Baggley found Alberto Almanzar with a pinpoint cross but the unmarked striker headed straight at the Austrian keeper from six yards out. Soon afterwards Almanzar outpaced the home defence but dragged his shot wide of the upright.

The Austrians were quickly back on the front foot and Ruadhan McKenna produced a great save to keep out a 25-yard piledriver from Dino Rusovic.  

But the Northern Ireland keeper was given no chance on the stroke of half-time when Edin Mujkanovic crossed from the right and Rusovic volleyed the ball into the net from close range.

On the restart Northern Ireland upped the ante and Peter McKiernan thought that he had snatched the equaliser, bundling the ball over the line when Austrian keeper Nikolas Polster dropped a free-kick by Gerard Storey. However, the referee disallowed the goal for a foul on the keeper.

On 67 minutes the visitors deservedly drew level when John McGivern met a cross from Ben Wylie to net with a powerful header. 

In the closing stages Northern Ireland pressed strongly in search of the winner with George Tipton and Aidan Steele both going close.

The U15 Schoolboys will next be in action against Estonia at Comber on 14 August and at Knockbreda two days later.

Northern Ireland line-up: Ruadhan McKenna (Portadown); Peter Bell (Dungannon United Youth); Dylan Boyle (captain, Ridgeway Rovers); Trai Hume (Linfield); Chris Hutchinson (Portadown); Michael Glynn (Ballinamallard United); Carl Johnston (Linfield); Alberto Almanzar (Portadown); Barry Baggley (Glentoran); John McGivern (Ridgeway Rovers); Naseem Ouldhamlat (Glentoran).

Substitutes: Gerard Storey (Ridgeway Rovers, replaced Johnston 20’); Peter McKiernan (Cliftonville, for Ouldhamlat 40’); Jessie Carson (Linfield, for Bell 40’); Ben Wylie (Linfield, for Glynn 40’); George Tipton (Ridgeway Rovers, for Baggley 54’); Aidan Steele (Cliftonville, for Hutchinson 54’).

Northern Ireland U15 manager Darren Murphy has named a 18 man squad to travel to Austria next week for two international friendlies against Austria U15’s.  Murphy knows that the fixture is vital for the development of the U15 squad “It is important for the U15 players to be constantly challenged and the up and coming fixtures v Austria will certainly do that. Last year we had 2 fantastic games v Austria, drawing one and losing the other. These fixtures give the players an insight, to the levels they need to get to so that we are completive when it comes to U17,U19 Euro level. I would like to thank the Northern Ireland Schools Football Association for all their hard work in securing these fixtures and the further Internationals that have been arranged for later in the year in preparation for the Victory shield in October.

The 18 man squad can be seen below:

David Walsh - Linfield

Ruadhan McKenna – Portadown

Peter Bell – Dungannon Utd

Dylan Boyle – Ridgeway Rovers

Trai Hume – Linfield

Chris Hutchinson – Portadown

Michael Glynn – Ballinamallard

Ben Wylie – Linfield

Carl Johnston – Linfield

Gerard Storey – Ridgeway Rovers

Alberto Almanzar – Portadown

Barry Baggley – Glentoran

John McGivern – Ridgeway Rovers

Jessie Carson – Linfield

Naseem Ouldhamlat – Glentoran

Aidan Steele – Cliftonville

George Tipton – Ridgeway Rovers

Peter McKiernan – Cliftonville