AFC Wimbledon are delighted to announce that Anthony Ferguson has been appointed as the new Academy Head of Coaching.
Anthony takes over from Michael Hamilton, who held the role before becoming the Academy Manager, and he will be responsible for the development programme of the coaches.
His day to day role will include evolving the coaching competency framework to progress coaching competence (through training needs analysis and development plans) observing coach performance to provide feedback to aid development, whilst conducting coaching sessions with the players at all levels of the academy.
His coaching experience includes six years in the academy of Tottenham Hotspur FC, and supporting the FA national team at U18/19 level under the tutelage of Noel Blake.
Anthony was one of the Regional Coach Mentors and he then spent five years as a County Coach Developer for the FA, where he was responsible for delivery of FA Coach Development and Education of Level 1, 2, UEFA B, and Youth Awards in the Greater London region.
Along with working in China, Europe and parts of the Caribbean, he also spent two years in Bangladesh, where he was Head of Coaching and Lead Tutor for the national elite players at the Sports and Education Institute (BKSP) in Dhaka.
Anthony brings teaching, management and conflict resolution skills to a thriving team.
On Anthony’s appointment, Michael Hamilton said: ‘We started this process at the end of August, and it’s taken so long as we wanted to ensure we not only got to know potential candidates, but also to test them a little bit. We wanted to see how they dealt with certain real-life elements of the job. We involved different staff members in different parts of the process to ensure Anthony fitted into the environment we have here, and as a collective he came out as the outstanding candidate.
"Although I’d come across him before, it was so interesting getting to know the man behind the coach. He is an extremely humble person who has a real passion for seeing people develop and progress, as well as a thirst to continue developing. He is well-respected in the game, and anyone you ask about him has nothing but positives to say. These qualities were evident throughout. He will bring so much value to us as an academy. Anthony has already made an impact in the short time he has spent with people and we are all excited to welcome him to our academy team."
Anthony Ferguson said: "I have served a long apprenticeship and feel that this role comes at just the right time. After a thorough and rigorous recruitment process, I am humbled to have secured the opportunity to directly support the development of our beautiful game on a daily basis in a well-run professional club environment. It also keeps me in touch with the community and grassroots football.
"I truly believe it is important to inspire, educate and empower coaches, players, staff and everyone that we come into contact with. I have committed to this as my long-term personal philosophy and one that I try to live by. Whilst I have had the opportunity to work with people at all levels of the game and in business, my coaching and playing philosophies embryonically strive from my personal approach and it’s quite simple. First of all, we have to respect others in order to achieve their respect, loyalty and trust. Once this has been established, we can actually start to support, learn from each other and develop as people within our areas of expertise both on and off the pitch.
"As we move from co-dependence to independence, people empowered to grow in their own right, and hopefully the cycle of development will continue and cascade to others in the future. I am excited at the prospect of this role with AFC Wimbledon and look forward to working with the great staff players and other stakeholders involved."