Eamonn Dolan always believed that young footballers should enjoy the game while looking to develop it, and he sought to implement this philosophy at Reading, where he was Academy manager.
"He was my mentor, really, in football coaching but in life as well," says Lewis Goater, who worked under Dolan at Reading. "He taught me a lot about not just coaching but about life and people.
"When I was first employed full-time as Lead Foundation Phase Coach, he said, we want to create the 'Fundation Phase'.
"He never talked about the seriousness of it. It was always about fun, being yourself, and making sure the kids have a great time."
When Dolan lost his battle with cancer in June 2016, Goater set about ensuring his legacy and philosophy of nurturing young footballers with fun and innovative methods continued.
He did that by helping to create the Eamonn Dolan Tour Series, in which Under-9, U10 and U11 teams from Reading were joined by Southampton, Swansea City, Swindon Town, Cardiff City and Bath Schools District.
They each hosted a tournament in the match format of their choice. It could be futsal, a five-a-side indoor game with a heavier ball, matches on bigger or smaller pitches than the boys are used to, or even “In and Out of balance” matches, encouraging players to solve problems like dealing with numerical disadvantages on the pitch or playing in different tempos.
The competition’s trial season was so successful that the Premier League introduced the Under-11 Premier League Regional Series from 2017/18, which kicked off last week and gives each side in the 10 four-team groups the freedom to host a tournament with a format of their choice. The group winners progress to the South Series and North Series Finals.
"The kids will always remember the Eamonn Dolan Tour Series games, because they're a bit different and fun," Goater says.
"Also, the boys get to play five teams on one day, rather than one, and they know they're playing for points."
Dean Smith, Games Programme Manager for the Premier League, adds: "Eamonn's vast experience and knowledge led him to constantly instigate new ideas, which we are proud to continue in the development of this series."
Dolan did not just focus on the development of the young players but also the coaches in charge of that development. He helped to set up the Premier League’s Elite Coaching Apprenticeship Scheme (ECAS) in 2014 and was keen to create a coaching fraternity.
That is another benefit from the series in his name.
"One of the key things is the togetherness with the coaches," Goater says.
"We have a meeting twice a year about how we can improve things. It does work well.
"It's bringing a grassroots culture back to Academy football, in a way, which has been quite refreshing.
"It keeps Eamonn's name going, and it's something he would be an advocate of; getting everyone together and coming up with innovative ideas and creating a coaching fraternity, which is what everyone wanted."
The 2016/17 series raised funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and Action Bladder Cancer UK in Eamonn’s name, and collections for charity will also continue this season.
See: Learn about match formats in Premier League Games Programme