Peas appoint girls Director of Football

Peamount United have appointed Ken Tougher as their new Girls Director of Football.

Born in Clondalkin, Tougher has been involved in the club for almost 10 years now and has been involved in coaching as well as playing at a variety of levels for the Newcastle based side.

Well known for being bastions of women’s football, Peamount offers girls teams at ages from U8s right through to U19s offering the opportunity to play at the very highest levels.

“My role would be to look after coach development and player development.

‘They’d be the two big things for me. It’s kind of a development approach that I would focus on.

‘That’s two pronged. Develop the coaches to develop the players. Coach education would be a big thing for me. I just want to continue on the good work that’s been done by the likes of Sean Kelly who have stepped away.”

Tougher spoke about the impact of Peamount United’s on women football.

“Even when it wasn’t fashionable, Peamount were always there at the forefront. They were founded in 1983 and the women’s team was not long after that.

‘Billy McMahon was the architect of the first women’s team. It’s just gone on since then.

The National League has just exploded. It’s great to see so many girls playing the game. Peamount would be at the forefront of it where we are.

We have a good catchment area. We would be an iconic club. We were one of the first to take up that mantle.

They’ve done great work at the girl level and that link from DDSL schoolgirls to the national league set up from a young age is a pathway there.”

While Peamount will of course be known for its high performing teams in the highest divisions of football Tougher was keen to stress that it is a community club.

“We have football for all levels. It’s not just about the premier players and the top top players which we do produce.

‘But there is football for everyone here and a level for everyone.

‘That’s one thing I want to focus on as well and keep that going. It’s not just having one premier team at an age group, it’s having a premier team and a team for everyone to play in as well.

‘They can be developed then maybe in a few years they could be in that premier team. There’s a pathway there.”