Sale All Stars FC launches for dual-sport players
A brand new football club has launched in Sale to give local kids the chance to enjoy both football and rugby – without having to choose between them.
Sale All Stars FC has been formed to solve a long-standing scheduling issue affecting Under 12s in the area. Traditionally, Sunday football clashes with fixtures and training for Sale Rugby FC, meaning young players with a love for both sports have had to make a tough choice.
Now, thanks to a dedicated group of coaches and parents, that compromise is no longer necessary. The newly formed Sale All Stars FC will play its matches on Saturdays in a Manchester league, allowing children to continue their rugby commitments on Sundays.
As well as the innovative approach to scheduling, the club has secured access to the training pitches at Carrington through a partnership with Sale Rugby FC, meaning players can stay together across both teams.
"It's incredibly exciting to be launching this team and keeping the foundations of the rugby squad together," said Loren Jones, chairman and co-founder of Sale All Stars FC.
"We've spent years building a team of young players and we always believed it was unfair to make the kids choose between two brilliant sports. This huge step of launching the club couldn't have been done without our committee and volunteers and we certainly couldn't have achieved this without the incredible support from Sale Rugby FC."
The community response has already been strong, with local businesses stepping in to offer support. But as a brand new club, Sale All Stars FC is still seeking local sponsorship to help cover essentials –from goalposts to kits. Initial backers include DAC Environmental Services and EweMove Sale Estate Agents, with more support encouraged from the local business community.
Pete Corbett from EweMove Estate Agents explained why they got involved: "It's all about being local and supporting the club and community. As a family, both our children play rugby and the youngest also loves football. The fact that individuals have set up this club and formed it is phenomenal – we couldn't resist getting involved and supporting the team. We also couldn't be more grateful for DAC Environmental joining us and becoming the lead sponsor."
Jones added: "If anyone can help sponsor the team, we'd like them to know they'd be making a massive impact on kids in Sale."
