Championship Apprentice of the Year at the Football League Awards
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Touchline No. 26 / MAY 2015 www.lfe.org.uk @LFEonline /LFEonline LEWIS COOK CHAMPIONSHIP APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR THE DEBUTANTS P6 APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR AWARDS P8 OUT OF THE ASHES P18 BRITS ABROAD P20 While big guns Chelsea and Manchester City face off in the final, this season’s FA Youth Cup FA Youth Cup threw up some great stories for clubs on LFE’s programme. In brief Several clubs reached the latter stages. the GOAL Touchline takes a look at them… The latest eleven talented11 teenagers to make the grade in LFE’s February OF THE MONTH BY GAVIN WILLACY line-up, as voted by our team of BY ELAINE BRAND Regional Officers, were: Goal of the Month has flourished again this Daniel Gallagher AFC Wimbledon term. More clubs than ever before now submit Kieran Dunbar Birmingham City goals to be shortlisted and viewing figures Dominic Telford Blackpool remain strong. Tyler Lyttle Bristol Rovers Over 10,000 votes have already been cast this Ademola Lookman Charlton Athletic season and at the time of writing seven players Jodi Jones Dagenham & Redbridge had received monthly awards. Jacob Hanson Huddersfield Town February’s selection featured eight superb Hayden Coulson Middlesbrough strikes but Derby County’s James Carvell came Spencer Brown Sheffield Wednesday out on top with 37% of the voting for his quick- Kyle King Walsall footed tap in against Bolton Wanderers. Crewe Alexandra Nottingham Forest Dennon Lewis Watford Crewe were the poster-boys for the Football Forest scraped past MK Dons after extra-time, Nominations come in on four occasions throughout the League after reaching the quarter-finals. A 5-0 won 3-0 at West Brom and beat Burnley – with season which are made by LFE’s regional officers and WATCH THE GOALS AND CAST YOUR VOTE fourth round victory over Bolton was followed by a group of LFE apprentices in their side - in the the winners all receive a certificate, cheque for £50 and a stunning 3-2 win over Arsenal at Barnet’s Hive last 16 before falling at the quarter-final stage to lfe.org.uk/goal-of-the-month LFETV coverage on the LFE website. ground thanks to strikes from Liam O’Neill and Tottenham, losing 2-1. Matty Cash had got Forest Andre Brown that bookended an own goal. back into the game after they trailed 2-0 and their Their remarkable run was ended at Manchester efforts did not go unappreciated by the vocal City. A 6-1 defeat against an Under-18 team home crowd of over 4,000 at the City Ground in a LFE Ready for boasting a wage bill that would be the envy of real taste of the big-time for Forest’s youngsters. TUESDAY 28 APRIL 2015 League One was harsh on the Alex youngsters. Coventry City Oxford United FC Finally a word for Coventry, whose apprentices Leicester City Club Meetings Seven of the Foxes team that lost to Man City in the will never forget their Youth Cup experience this semi-final were LFE apprentices, having started on season. The Sky Blues saw off an amateur club (Peterborough Northern Star), won two high- LFE's annual club meetings are set to take the programme last season when Leicester were WEDNESDAY 29 APRIL 2015 winning the Championship. They had a hard-fought scoring thrillers (one of them in extra-time) before place at Oxford, Leicester and Huddersfield. route to the last four, the highlight being a 2-0 win being well beaten at Manchester City in the fourth Leicester City FC round. Their Youth Cup adventure had everything! The events are designed to help clubs share best practice at Southampton, before an exciting quarter-final and deliver updates on the apprenticeship in sporting against Birmingham. In front of nearly 2000 fans at excellence programme. Clubs can send up to four delegates the King Power Stadium, a late header by England to the days and for registration and more information please youth international Darnell Johnson clinched a 2-1 THURSDAY 30 APRIL 2015 visit LFE's website. victory following Harvey Barnes’ equaliser. Huddersfield Town FC Birmingham City The Blues did it the hard way winning two ties in extra-time at Blackpool and Liverpool to get to the last eight. A fantastic 3-2 win over Liverpool in Welcome to Touchline, brought to the previous round was secured thanks to George O’Neill scoring a first-half equaliser and setting up you by League Football Education Sam Deadfield to put them ahead. The Blues conceded again but won it in extra-time The FA Youth Cup is the with Kieran Dunbar tucking home a rebound. In the most prestigious of prizes LFE is supported by: sixth round at Leicester, they were dreaming of the at under-18 level reaching the semis when O’Neill gave them a first half lead and they were level as the full-time whistle beckoned only to concede an 88th minute winner. 2 NEWS www.lfe.org.uk @LFEonline /LFEonline NEWS 3 Academy League Education Assessment Round-Up Support Fund Trials 2015 BY ELAINE BRAND LFE’s annual Assessment Trials offers players the chance to showcase their talents in front of an army of scouts from professional clubs, non-league and from Universities in the UK and abroad. The events which are open to those who are coming towards the end of their apprenticeship or the end of a first professional contract (Under 19 year), aim to help players find a route back into the game at MAY DEADLINE FOR an appropriate level. 31 ESF SUBMISSIONS FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.lfe.org.uk/trials2015 As the deadline for making a claim from the Education Support Fund looms nearer, LFE chief executive Alan Sykes has warned clubs to ‘not leave things to the last minute’. As the season draws to a close, we analyse how the league season has panned out. Claim forms and supporting documentation North West Alliance U18 Professional Development League North must be received at LFE before 31 May for an At the time of writing Bury, Wigan Athletic and Nottingham Forest have climbed to the summit of award to be made. THURSDAY 30 APRIL 2015 Rochdale were embroiled in a rat race for top spot. the league, storming past Huddersfield Town and To date just thirty-five per cent of the fund has Bradford City Football Club, Valley Parade Park The Latics’ 3-2 victory over the Shakers backed midlands rivals Birmingham City. While Forest have been drawn down by clubs and Sykes is eager to up by another win against Accrington Stanley has a 10 point advantage their rivals both have two ensure the clubs do not dwell over applications. given them the upper hand and they were set to games in hand and will be determined to claw back leapfrog their Lancashire rivals with a victory over as many points as possible. “I would urge clubs to make claims as soon Preston in their penultimate game. as possible and not leave things until the last U18 Professional Development League South minute,” said Sykes. “Clubs run the risk of being North East Alliance Brentford remain out in front with a total of fifty- unable to maximise their claim or missing out Bradford City became the first club to confirm their three points but their fate may be determined by altogether otherwise.” status as champions, claiming back-to-back North Charlton Athletic who could equal that tally by East Alliance titles. Chesterfield are now fighting taking maximum points from their two games in Any queries should be directed to Alan Sykes TUESDAY 5 MAY 2015 on 0870 458 9250 or email: [email protected] it out with Doncaster Rovers for second place and hand. Staines Town Football Club, Wheatsheaf Park the two teams excitingly face each other in the last game of the season. U18 Premier League With the North and South divisions combining into South East & West Merit 1 three groups based on positions at the midway The top performers from both the South East stage, we can report that it is Middlesbrough who Pass4Soccer and South West Alliances combined to create a top group one with Craig Liddle’s starlets taking Pass4Soccer the organisation LFE has post-Christmas play-off division and it is Plymouth nine points from four games. Group two is led by been working exclusively with to open up Argyle who are standing tallest. The Pilgrims Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Sunderland and the opportunity for players to pursue soccer remain unbeaten in ten games and if that record Derby County closing in from second and third WEDNESDAY 6 MAY 2015 is extended to eleven, they will be crowned respectively. Blackburn Rovers are proving to be scholarships in America is hosting a trial Port Vale Football Club, Vale Park champions ahead of second placed Luton Town. the in-form team in Group 3 with an unbeaten run game in May. of four games heading into the final stages of the The event which will take place on Friday 8 May South East & West Merit 2 competition. The best of the rest in the South will be determined at Sutton Coldfield Town FC, is open to players in one week’s time and it is Bristol Rovers and who have come through LFE’s apprenticeship Leyton Orient who lead the charge as the two programme and will be attended by scores of US contenders for a gold medal. The O’s will be hoping University soccer coaches keen to recruit players to take advantage of their one game in hand and for their squads for next season.