Ex-striker Dave Kitson played at the highest level of English football, scoring 56 goals for Reading FC during two stints at the club between 2003 and 2009.
He proved he ‘still had it’ in 2024, scoring twice in a one-off appearance for Caversham United in the Reading & District Sunday League as part of the inaugural Sunday League Day in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.
Now Dave, 45, is channelling his talents into Dave Kitson Coaching, which offers group sessions and one-to-one training for anyone with an interest in the sport – from youngsters gunning for topflight academies, to veteran teams playing walking football. Above all else, Dave Kitson Coaching is about fun and inclusivity for all.
Select Car Leasing, headquartered in Reading, Berks, has presented Dave Kitson Coaching with a free Nissan Qashqai to aid coach and kit transportation and will also sponsor the coaches’ training tops.
Dave says: “We’re delighted to be sponsored by Select Car Leasing. The use of a fully branded Nissan Qashqai is going to transform the business, helping us travel to coaching sessions while also really putting our name out there. There’s also a real synergy between Dave Kitson Coaching and Select Car Leasing. I played for Reading FC for many years, and Select isn’t just the club’s Principal partner, it was also founded by two lifelong Reading fans. I really am proud and thrilled that Select has agreed to come on board and to sponsor Dave Kitson Coaching”
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Select Car Leasing – Principal Partner of Reading FC since 2021 – runs several initiatives designed to support grassroots football. It gives away free Reading FC matchday tickets to youngsters via its ‘Tickets for Kids’ scheme and funds free kits for local sides. Select also sponsors the Reading FC Community Trust, funding free meals for underprivileged boys and girls during school holidays while also supporting the club’s youth football pathways.
Mark Tongue, Founder and CEO of Select Car Leasing, said: “As a volunteer coach of a grassroots football team myself, I know just how important it is to get young people playing organised sport, as it has so many benefits when it comes to physical and mental wellbeing. It’s fantastic to watch young players grow in confidence, to flourish on the pitch, and to really enjoy the beautiful game. That’s where Dave Kitson Coaching comes in. To have expert input from someone who has played at the very pinnacle of English football is invaluable, for both players and coaches. And as a lifelong Reading FC fan myself, we’re delighted to be able to support a former striker who is something of a club legend.”
Dave Kitson Coaching is based out of the Reading Blue Coat School, on the banks of the River Thames in Sonning, Berkshire, and makes use of the facility’s 3G pitch. It operates seven days a week and Dave will also go out to individual clubs to support both players and coaches in their session planning.
Dave, a UEFA B coaching licence holder, is joined by former professional midfielder James Harper at Dave Kitson Coaching, who came through Arsenal’s academy before making more than 300 appearances for Reading FC, scoring 25 goals in the process.
The Coaching team also comprises other local instructors who all have UEFA C or UEFA B badges and who all adhere to the Dave Kitson Coaching philosophy and its specific drills.
