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An Englishman, an Irishman, and a Scotsman stood together at the entrance of Charlotte FC’s training complex, eagerly awaiting Steve Clarke’s arrival. The Scotland head coach had been on a mission to find the perfect base camp for the national team’s World Cup preparations, ultimately discovering an ideal location in North Carolina—thanks in part to some familiar connections.
Charlotte FC, an MLS franchise, is led by Dean Smith, the former Aston Villa manager and a good friend of Clarke. Adding to the synergy, Clarke’s former Kilmarnock teammate, Gary Dicker, serves as Smith’s assistant coach, while Tommy Wilson, who once played alongside Clarke at St Mirren, holds the position of technical director at the club. This web of relationships proved invaluable in securing a top-tier facility. Despite interest from various other nations in the Atrium Health Performance Park, and a broad search along much of the U.S. East Coast, the Scottish team has settled on Charlotte as their base during their first World Cup appearance since 1998. Scotland’s group stage fixtures are in Boston, against Haiti and Morocco, and in Miami against Brazil, both cities being roughly two hours by air from their chosen camp.
Clarke expressed optimism about the setup, describing the club’s amenities as “top” and emphasizing their suitability for providing “the best possible conditions” as Scotland returns to the global stage. With vital assistance from Charlotte’s assistant coach Gary Dicker and Scotland assistant Steven Naismith, BBC Scotland delved into the details of what is considered “one of the best facilities in the MLS” and how the summer training camp will be organized.
Naismith described the facilities as “world-class” and specifically “purpose-built for football.” This distinction matters greatly, as many sporting venues in the U.S. tend to prioritize NFL, baseball, or basketball requirements, often forcing compromises when it comes to soccer-specific training setups. “You’re actually having to compromise a wee bit on the actual facilities at some places,” Naismith explained. “But in Charlotte, they’ve got the latest technology and recovery. The layout of these are all very much equipped for what we want, what we expect and what the players want day-to-day at their clubs.”
Gary Dicker, with his background as both player and coach at Brighton, also praised the impressive nature of the club’s training ground upon his arrival in 2024. He highlighted the abundance of resources, noting, “We’ve got four grass pitches, a full-size astro pitch and another nine-aside astro. From multiple buildings, meeting rooms, the auditorium, gyms and the canteen, we’ve got everything pretty close but also in completely separate buildings.”
The players’ experience isn’t limited to professional needs; their families are an important consideration as well. Given the duration and intensity of the World Cup, many team members will bring loved ones along. Dicker, who is accompanied by his wife and children, reassured that there is plenty for families to enjoy in the area. “You’re away for so long, I’m sure most of them are going to come with their families,” he said. “But there’s loads of stuff to do here with the kids. It’s a fast-growing city, which isn’t too busy, while you’re close to the mountains and sea too. Even if they do want to go to Disneyland it’s an hour-and-a-half flight to come back and down, it’s not far at all.”
While Clarke might prefer to keep the squad focused, even avoiding scenarios like Andy Robertson wearing Mickey Mouse ears, he and his staff recognize the value of downtime. The coaching team plans to promote a sense of freedom among players during the long tournament, encouraging them to balance rest with routine. “We’re away for a long time, so it was important to get that relaxed element too,” said one assistant coach. “It was important that we were not isolated in a training facility that’s not in a city, and in Charlotte, there’s a lot for the players to do. We’ll be encouraging them and I’m sure we’ll try and get them to follow the routine they have back at home, if that’s being able to see family time at certain points or if that’s going out to do some shopping in an afternoon. Each player’s got their own way of working and the manager’s very open to allow that to be the feel around the group.”
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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