Youth football club partners with building society
Skipton International, established in Guernsey, said it was "proud" to announce the partnership with St Martin's A.C., also known as Saints.
The club welcomed players aged five and above and is committed to eliminating discrimination and fostering equal opportunities for all.
Aaron Walden, Skipton International's senior commercial manager, said: "We are thrilled to support Saints, a club that truly represents the values of inclusivity, teamwork, and community."
Matthew Warren, Saints' director of sponsorship and fundraising, said: "This partnership is fantastic news for young footballers in Guernsey.
"With Skipton International's backing, we can create even more opportunities for children to get involved, develop their skills, and most importantly, enjoy playing football."
The partnership will see the launch of two youth tournaments, The Skipton Saints 7's and a minis tournament.
The firm said more than 220 young players were expected to take part in the events.
Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
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New York Times
2 minutes ago
- New York Times
Jets training camp observations: Justin Fields' up-and-down practice
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Aaron Glenn popped awake at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, eager. He looked at his phone and saw a text message from his wife an hour earlier: Just be A.G. 'And that's what I'm going to be,' Glenn said after his first training camp practice as Jets head coach on Wednesday. 'Right, wrong or indifferent.' Advertisement He couldn't go back to sleep — call it excitement, or adrenaline, or the stress to make sure everything was ready. This was a moment he's been preparing for ever since his first head coaching interview (with the Jets, coincidentally, when he was the Saints defensive backs coach after the 2020 season). That's when he started to think about how he'd conduct things, how he'd run a practice, and a training camp. He took copious notes when he went to Detroit to be Dan Campbell's defensive coordinator. And at times, Campbell would let Glenn plan out practice and stand in front of the team as head coach. But that was only a trial run. This is the real thing. 'I'm happy to be standing here,' Glenn said. 'This is something I've been waiting on for a long time.' On Tuesday, Glenn stood in front of the entire Jets roster and spoke about expectations — how everyone expects to win the Super Bowl, but there are the steps a team needs to take to get there. 'We break those expectations down into stages,' Glenn said. 'The only thing I want those guys to think about is what we're trying to create in training camp.' That is: a culture of competitiveness, attention to detail and a focus on the fundamentals. Pads won't come on until later, the first few days of camp are more about getting in shape and installing the new playbook. Then, the intensity will pick up. 'He's an intense guy,' said center Joe Tippmann. 'He's somebody that wants to establish a culture and he's definitely doing that, through our meetings, through practice, through OTAs … it's been great to get the ball rolling.' On Wednesday, the Jets got the ball rolling. Here are some observations from the first practice of training camp… Fields looked a lot like he did during OTAs and minicamp in the spring: A mix of impressive throws and some poor decisions. His first pass of 11-on-11 drills was a dump-off to Breece Hall when he probably should have hit an open Garrett Wilson down the field instead. On the next play, Fields was under pressure from defensive end Micheal Clemons — who came close to a sack — and it led to a poorly thrown ball to Wilson for an incompletion; the throw was late and landed nowhere near his star receiver. Advertisement Then, Fields followed it up with probably his best throw of the day: a 50-yard bomb, delivered with timing and patience, to Wilson for what would have been a touchdown in a competitive setting. Fields found a hole in the coverage and nailed it perfectly. In the other run of 11-on-11 it was more up-and-down. Cornerback Brandon Stephens batted Fields' pass down on a blitz on the first play, then Fields tried squeezing a side-arm throw to Wilson in tight coverage that fell incomplete — in Fields' defense, nickel corner Michael Carter II had Wilson draped in coverage and made it difficult to squeeze a pass in. Fields completed a pass to Hall on the next play, though defensive end Will McDonald — battling with rookie tackle Armand Membou — might have sacked him. He then hit Wilson again on a laser in the middle of the field, then dumped it off to running back Braelon Allen as he was being pressured by defensive end Eric Watts. All told, Fields completed 5 of 8 passes during 11-on-11 drills — and also hit Wilson, Josh Reynolds and Arian Smith on nice throws during seven-on-seven drills. It's Day 1 of practice; there is nothing worth celebrating nor fretting over yet. The key is simply seeing progress — Fields was never going to dominate right out of the gate. On that seven-on-seven completion to Wilson: Wilson used some expert, patient route-running to trick Stephens into thinking the ball wasn't coming his way until the very last second, which allowed him to make an impressive catch over Stephens' head for a 30-yard gain on the sideline. Stephens had good coverage but didn't turn his head — which has been a recurring issue for him during his career, though most cornerbacks might have fallen for Wilson's trickery on this one. would you believe us if we told you this was the first play of 7-on-7? — New York Jets (@nyjets) July 23, 2025 Nothing notable yet. Defensive end Jermaine Johnson (Achilles) and wide receiver Irv Charles (ACL) opened training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform List. Johnson is expected to be activated and return to practice at some point before the start of the season — and he posted on X that he's healthy now but the team is just being cautious. Advertisement Maybe Glenn or defensive coordinator Steve Wilks don't want to get into specifics about how the Jets defense is going to look. But it was easy to spot context clues — even easier now that multiple players have confirmed what was expected: This is going to be a blitz-heavy, aggressive defense that uses more man-to-man coverage. None of those things were staples of Robert Saleh's defense the last few years. The Jets showed that throughout the spring, and again on Wednesday in moments like the Stephens play in the backfield. On Tuesday, cornerback Sauce Gardner said the things that excite him most about playing in this defense include traveling with top receivers, blitzing and even getting some reps as a nickel corner. Linebacker Jamien Sherwood alluded to there being more blitzing in this defense too, as did others in the spring. The player who stands to benefit most from the change in defensive play style, in my mind: Linebacker Quincy Williams, an elite athlete that succeeded in blitzes under Saleh on the rare occasion the staff allowed him to do it. He should be in for a bounce-back year in this new scheme. 'I feel like for Quincy and I and all the other linebackers, we get a chance to really showcase who we are,' Sherwood said. 'We get a chance to blitz a little bit more, dropping back in coverage and just (getting) more opportunities to make plays.' Glenn wouldn't acknowledge that Tippmann and Josh Myers were competing to start at center — Glenn went with the typical 'everyone is competing' coachspeak instead — but Tippmann confirmed it. The 2023 second-round pick was viewed as an entrenched starter heading into the offseason, but the Jets also didn't expect Myers (56 career starts with the Packers) to be available at such minimal cost. Tippmann said he was surprised when the Jets signed Myers but that Glenn called him to let him know it was happening. Now he's taking it in stride. 'We brought Josh in so now I have that competition each and every day and it's only going to make me better,' Tippmann said. 'Pressure makes diamonds. Just being able to keep that in my mind and know that it's an open competition and that I'm going to have to keep battling every day.' Advertisement It appears that is the only job on the starting offensive line that's open for competition; Membou appears locked in at right tackle in the early going. • Wide receiver Malachi Corley was back practicing after missing most of the spring. During 11-on-11 drills, he bobbled and dropped a pass from undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook. He also couldn't out-run cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse on a fade from Tyrod Taylor, so the pass fell incomplete. Corley still has a long way to go to prove to this coaching staff that he belongs. • The run-blocking looked solid in the early going, through it's difficult to evaluate the offensive line at this stage (pre-pads). Allen looked especially explosive coming out of the backfield, bursting through the hole for a big gain on one carry and making a play after the catch on another. Expect him to have a bigger role in 2025. • Undrafted rookie Jamaal Pritchett — pushing Xavier Gipson for a role as the team's punt returner — had a nice diving catch from Adrian Martinez in 11-on-11 drills. Gipson muffed a punt during one drill. That will be a competition to watch.


New York Post
3 minutes ago
- New York Post
Impassioned Aaron Glenn ‘praying' to end Jets fans' pain as he kicks off new era
Aaron Glenn woke up around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, unable to sleep. He picked up his phone and saw a text message from his wife, Devaney. 'Just be AG,' it read. 'That's who I'm going to be — right, wrong or indifferent,' the new Jets coach said after his first training camp practice. 'Nothing's going to change about how I operate. Nothing's going to change about the way I think. Man, I was excited.' 4 Jets coach Aaron Glenn speaks to reporters after practice at training camp on July 23, 2025. Bill Kostroun/New York Post The excitement Glenn has brought to the Jets franchise is palpable. After the failed Aaron Rodgers experiment and the messy divorce from Robert Saleh five games into last season, the Jets badly needed a facelift and that goes beyond fixing up the locker room. They need the energy that the 53-year-old former Jets cornerback has shown since Woody Johnson hired him in January. 'Authentic,' is how Glenn described himself on Wednesday and it is hard to argue. There is nothing that feels inauthentic about Glenn when you listen to him speak. He can be saltier than a bag of pretzels but it's not for show. It's him. 4 Aaron Glenn reacts during practice at Jets training camp on July 23, 2025. Bill Kostroun/New York Post 'Players know a fake when they see one,' Glenn said. 'When you're up there just talking and just spitting things out, they can read through that quickly. They've been around sports for a long time. They know a fake when they see one. I've always prided myself on being me. Right, wrong or indifferent, this is who I am. Players know that. I think when players see that, it's easy to buy in.' On Wednesday, he was all over the practice field as the Jets — his Jets — took the field in Florham Park for their first camp practice. With the word 'Grind' written on the back of his sweatshirt, Glenn moved from position group to position group, mostly observing but speaking up at times. He clapped in excitement at a drill by the offensive linemen and then moved with a purposeful stride across the field toward another group. 'This is something I've been waiting for for a long time,' Glenn said. This was a day that was long in the making for the Humble, Texas native. From when he was a player watching Bill Parcells transform the Jets in 1997 from a laughingstock to a Super Bowl contender in two seasons. From when he was a defensive backs coach watching Sean Payton keep the Saints playing at a high level year after year. And then as a defensive coordinator helping Dan Campbell turn around the Lions. Glenn said he truly began thinking about how he would operate his own team after his first head coaching interview, back when he was with the Saints. 'That's when I started to think it's time for me to start thinking about that,' Glenn said. 'I don't know if it's going to happen or not but it's time for me to start thinking about how I'd do things. I would always just jot down notes. I came to compile a good amount of notes from that time and then the four years in Detroit.' 4 Aaron Glenn looks on during practice at Jets training camp on July 23, 2025. Bill Kostroun/New York Post Glenn has credited Campbell with then giving him chances to perform duties that would prepare him for being a head coach like planning training camp. All of that led to Wednesday morning when the Jets took the field just after 8 a.m. It was a short practice and a far cry from the training camps Glenn experienced as a player when there was no such thing as a 'ramp up' phase to camp. Glenn has cleared every hurdle as Jets coach so far, but the scoreboard has not been turned on yet. He is the latest coach to try to turn around the Jets franchise that has has not won a division in 23 years, gone 14 straight years without making the playoffs and experienced nine straight losing seasons. 4 Aaron Glenn looks on during practice at Jets training camp on July 23, 2025. Bill Kostroun/New York Post Now, they turn to the man they drafted in the first round in 1994 as the man to turn them into a winner. 'I know what it's like to be a Jet,' Glenn said. 'I know the pain and all the things the fans have been through. I might have been gone from here but I was never gone in spirit so I get it. That sticks with me a ton. I understand the pain. I'm hoping, I'm praying, I expect to make the pain go away. I think about that every day.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
New Orleans Saints training camp, Day 1: Highlights, practice notes, and news
New Orleans Saints training camp began in earnest on Wednesday, July 23, with the team's first real practice session, and we've got your one-stop shop to keep up with all of the updates and highlights from the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. It's been an eventful week already with surprise retirements of Pro Bowl safety Tyrann Mathieu and second-year tight end Dallin Holker, but the Saints are just getting started. This team is full of unknown quantities under first-year head coach Kellen Moore, though he's already earned the respect of his players. Here is everything we learned from the first day of practice: Injury report The only absences spotted on Wednesday were expected; tight end Foster Moreau and does-it-all utilityman Taysom Hill were both unavailable. They're each returning from 2024 knee injuries and started camp on the physically unable to perform list (PUP). Hill and Moreau can be activated as soon as they can pass a physical, but the team isn't rushing them back to action. Kellen Moore takes the stage The Who Dat Nation makes themselves heard Offense tries playing defense, defense gets to play offense This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Highlights and notes from Day 1 at New Orleans Saints training camp