Friday 21st April, 2023 at 2:01pm
The Thistle Weir Youth Academy can announce that Craig Dargo has been appointed as the Academy’s new under 18s head coach.
Following Kris Doolan’s appointment as first team manager, there has been an ongoing search to find his replacement at Academy level and now Dargo will step in to the crucial position where he will be responsible for the under 18s and help them prepare to make the step up to senior football with the Jags.
Dargo arrives with a wealth of experience as both a player and as a coach. His playing career spanned 20 years, and included a brief stint as a Jag during the 2011/12 season as well as prolific goalscoring spells at Raith Rovers, Kilmarnock, Inverness C.T., St. Mirren and more.
Craig’s coaching journey began before he’d even retired as a player, working as an under 20s coach at Dunfermline Athletic from 2012 to 2014. He would then go on to spend seven years at Ayr United as their under 18s and Reserves coach.
Latterly, he’s been the Head of Football at North Kelvin Sports Development Group, a grass-roots organisation who aim to offer opportunities in sports and education to the local community.
New under 18s coach Craig Dargo said:
“I’m extremely excited to join the Thistle Weir Youth Academy. A lot of terrific work has been done here over the past few years and I’m just looking to come in and add to that in my own way.
“Ultimately, my primary goal is to bridge the gap from the Academy to the first team for our young players and to give them the platform that allows them to become regulars for Partick Thistle.
“It was a position I was in myself as a young player and the support you get from your coaches is vital. I’m really looking forward to getting started and getting to work with the players on a weekly basis.”
Academy director Paul McDonald said:
“We’re very pleased to be welcoming Craig to the Academy as our new under 18s coach. He’s someone who knows the game inside out and has worked in similar positions previously, helping young players take that next step in their careers.
“With Kris stepping up to become first team manager, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind few months for the Academy but everyone involved has done a terrific job in dealing with whatever has been thrown our way. We’re now getting back to normal and Craig’s arrival as the under 18s head coach is a sign of that.”
