Dartford Football Club is proud to have a brand-new fan base – all the way from Ghana!
The club has kitted out dozens of budding footballers in the African country, as part of an initiative led by our former goalkeeping coach Larry Raji.
Larry set up SAQ Sports Academy in 2018, aiming to support youth development and help youngsters forge a better future and purpose in life through sport.
And Dartford FC has been sending Larry out-of-season kits over the last few years to help his venture, with the latest recipients Lakeside Homestars, proudly showing off their kits during a training session in the video and photos above.
Larry, who was first team goalkeeping coach at the Dartford from 2019 to 2022, went on to work with Norwich and is now a player development coach at West Ham.
He set up the academy in Ghana, the country his wife is from, after realising his background meant he could play an important role in youth development there. SAQ Sports Academy mostly mentors and supports children between the ages of 16 and 18 who have dropped out of football or out of mainstream school.
The organisation has mentored more than a thousand children around the world, helping with maths and English, education gaps and employability skills. They also organise mission work in Bulgaria, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone and run a donation port which receives food from Marks & Spencer to distribute to those who need it.
He said: “Dartford FC has always been a community and impactful club. However they are not just community-based, but are touching the lives of young people in other parts of the world who they don’t even know.
“Everyone has a purpose in life and Dartford is helping some children and youths to fulfil their potential.”
Now, we are appealing to our fanbase to help support the initiative further. We will have a large box outside the Champions Bar on match days and during the week, where fans can bring old or unused football kits, unwanted football tracksuits and used football boots.
Please help us by supporting our venture!