Coach of the Year (Male Pathway): Tim Brown

The England Football Grassroots Awards

We are delighted to announced that Tim Brown of Eastbourne Borough has won our Coach of the Year (Male Pathway) as part of England Football’s Grassroots Football Awards.

This Award looks to highlight a coach in the male game who is inclusive, encouraging and inspiring when it matters most.

Tim Brown is a youth coach at Eastbourne Borough and has been coaching children for nearly 40 years across Sussex.

On the weekends, he coaches the 'Sports Stars' session for children aged three to five, which has approximately 20 kids that have a lot of fun and laughter every week! Tim then coaches the Year 1 Boys Development Squad, which has 25 local youngsters that not only have fun, but also learn the rules of mini soccer in preparation for being an under-7 team the following season.

What’s more, Tim runs the club's 'Spirit of Football' pan-disability football team for disabled players aged five to 20 years, which has nearly 30 players attending each week. Tim also runs the Half-Term Soccer Schools and recently launched disability soccer schools as well. If that wasn’t enough, he also runs the 'World Cup Fun Day' at the club too, which sees nearly 400 Eastbourne Borough boys and girls from the ages of three to 13, able and disabled, play in a football festival all morning that includes food, music, face painting, flags of the world and more!

Tim coaching 4 — Tim always gives lots of encouragement during his sessions

Tim coaching 1 — Tim during his Sports Stars session

Tim coaching 3 — Tim has created a space for children that never had the opportunity to play football before

Tim coaching 2 — Tim always goes the extra mile

Tim started up the disability football sessions at Eastbourne Borough seven years ago with just a small handful of kids. Now there are a huge number of children attending that never had the opportunity to play football anywhere before.

Tim has recently started up a Youth Disability Coaching Programme for disabled players aged 18+, to teach them how to coach youth football as well as play. This has given several of these young disabled adults a new lease of life, as they now feel empowered and thrive with the new responsibility.

Tim goes the extra mile for every youngster, often in his own time, to deliver fabulous football sessions and opportunities for children - and they all absolutely love him! He is enormously passionate about using football as a force for good. Using football as a way to support parents and teachers with moulding the next generation of youngsters, who will be coming through with the life skills they need.