THE nephew of legendary former Liverpool manager Joe Fagan is following in his uncles footsteps as the coach of the Hucclecote Under-16s side.

Ken Fagan, the current chairman of Hucclecote FC, played County League football for Sharpness and turned out for several Hellenic League teams in his playing days but he was never going to be the top football man in the Fagan family.

His uncle Joe succeeded Bob Paisley as Liverpool manager in 1983 and picked up the League Cup, League title and European Cup in his first season before retiring from the game hours after Liverpool had lost to Juventus in the 1985 European Cup final, a game sadly remembered for the death of 39 supporters at the Heysel Stadium

Ken took up coaching nine years ago and regrets not being able to call on the wisdom of his famous uncle Joe, who passed away in 2001.

Hucclecote are forging a strong reputation as a production line of exciting young local talent with 16-year-old goalkeeper Brad Poole recently joining Cheltenham Town on a two-year scholarship.

Two more of Fagan's boys are on the books at Gloucester City and their coach is proud of the quality of players produced by such a small club.

"We're starting to produce some really good young players at Hucclecote and it's inevitable that the best players are always going to move on to bigger things," said Fagan.

"Sadly we only had Brad for about a year but he is a great keeper with loads of potential.

"I've been coaching for eight or nine years so it was sad that Joe died in 2001 just before I started coaching the youngsters as it would have been great to get his advice on coaching methhods and tactics.

"Of course having such a legend in the family was brilliant and I was an avid Liverpool fan growing up because of my uncle's achievements.

"I was his only nephew so we would go up to Liverpool once or twice a year to see him but when he retired from management in 1985 I was still playing in the county league in Gloucestershire.

"It was great to have such a famous footballing character in the family."

As a club Hucclecote are going from strength to strength and run teams from Under fives up to Under-16 with the Under-10, 11 and 12s running two sides each.

Fagan is even considering starting up an Under-18 side to ease the progression of his under-16 side into men's football.

"I think a Hucclecote team in an Under-18 league would be great and really help the boys progress.

"Although some of the boys in my team are taller than me, they are not ready physically or mentally to compete in men's football, although most of them think that they are."

"It is still a big step up from the Under-16's into men's football and although a few of my team do play in an adult league on a Saturday, they find it quite a challenge."

Football is clearly in the Fagan blood as Ken's coaching methods seem to be paying off.

Hucclecote have several teams in contention for league titles including his own Under-16 side who currently lie in secon place.

The Under-12s are unbeaten this season and top their division and the Under-11 side are also placed second in their league.

Ben Wasley and Martin Smith, both 16, are on Gloucester City's books and Fagan is convinced there will be plenty more players from Hucclecote to go on and play at a higher level.

Uncle Joe would no doubt have been a proud man to see his nephew's efforts.