THE TOWN of Dorchester may well have put itself in the record books by being home to one of Britain’s oldest qualified youth football coaches.

Bob Mowlem has passed his FA Youth Coaching award at the grand age of 70, opting to take on the stress of doing the course instead of holding a relaxing birthday party with his friends and family.

Mowlem boasts 54 years of experience at grass-roots level, and decided to put his experience to the test with the challenging course.

The award involves completing a theory module, undertaking several tutor-led sessions and gaining practical work experience by coaching a team for several months.

It also includes submitting a log book to the FA and working with players collectively and individually to create 10 linked training session with them to help improve their game, all before passing a final practical assessment at the end.

Speaking of the course, Bob hoped that his achievement can act as an inspiration to others.

He said: “I could not have achieved this award without the support of my wife Carol, Matt, the boys of the under-15 Magpies team and my tutor, Martin Dighton from the FA. They encouraged me to keep going until I completed the course.

“I hope this inspires other mature coaches that you are never too old to obtain a higher level of coaching football with a little hard work.”