ST Neots Town managing director Lee Kearns says the club’s decision to work with youth football club Priory Parkside has nothing to do with the recent scrapping of the reserve side.

Just days after chairman Mike Kearns confirmed the club had axed its reserve team, a statement was released announcing the new link-up, which read: “St Neots Town FC is proud to announce that from December 1, 2011, a full and comprehensive support structure will become active. Priory Parkside will remain independent but will be working in association with St Neots Town FC.”

Lee Kearns, talking exclusively to The Hunts Post, added: “I must stress that Priory will remain independent of the club – and this move has nothing to do with the recent news about the reserve team. I had no input in that. We don’t want to say yet how we will be working with Priory – but we want to help the club develop young footballers. Our aim is to help the club produce the footballers of the future.”

The club wrote to two youth football clubs offering its help and the statement continued: “It is with great excitement that Priory Parkside not only took the initiative but was also very professional and forthright in what they believe should be the way forward in building a well structured framework of support for them and their teams.”

Kearns was unwilling however to discuss how they will be helping the Priory club – or if they will be making any of the facilities at The Hunts Post Community Stadium available to their new partners.

St Neots will, however, be offering free coaching to all young footballers on Monday evenings from December, and coaching schools during half-term breaks.

A further statement with more “exciting news” is promised, according to the club.