Issue 21 - September 2013 News from League Football Education Touchline Inside: Pre-season tour | Transfer timeline | Jack Waddle | HE in focus Midlands clubs focus on Elite Player Plan LFE was established by The Football League and The Professional Footballers Association WEB PERSON BLOG TWITTER WEB VIDEO PERSON EMAILWEB BLOG PERSONPHONE @LFEonline TWITTERblog.lfe.org.uk BLOGHOME WEB www.lfe.org.uk VIDEO FACEBOOK news /LFEonline TWITTER EMAIL PERSON VIDEO BLOGPHONE EMAIL HOME PHONE TWITTER Rochdale have opened up the new campaign In the South East league, newcomers FACEBOOK with all guns blazing. With five wins from five Colchester United have won four from four LFE LAUNCHES... AcademyVIDEO HOME matches including a 5-0 drubbing of Wigan, topping the table from Watford and Luton. EMAIL Dale already lookFACEBOOK like the team to beat in the In the revamped Under-18 Premier League, North West Youth Alliance. which has now been split into two North and LeaguesPHONE £50 PRIZE In contrast to the high flyers from Spotland, South divisions, Wolverhampton Wanderers All winners will receive a HOME Wrexham last terms champions have taken hit Leicester for six on the opening day but certificate and £50 prize as just one point from their opening five fixtures. were then subject to the same fate two weeks well as being featured on the FACEBOOK later at Manchester United. Bradford City sit at the top of the tree in LFE website – so check back the North East division ahead of Doncaster Nevertheless, wins over Newcastle and to see if you or anyone you on goal difference with four straight wins West Ham leave Wolves in a healthy third know has made ‘The 11’. ? each, which sets things up very nicely for spot behind the Manchester clubs. their first meeting of the season at Cantley Millwall and Huddersfield lead the way in the Park this month. U18 Development Leagues but the game of the T h e 11 Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham have both season so far came on the south coast when ? ? earned seven points from their opening three Brighton and Ipswich played out a seven LFE has launched a fantastic new ? ? fixtures, however Torquay and Newport will be goal thriller, Charlie Harris’ exquisite long-range Image by Paul Hazelwood looking for some quick fixes after a slow start. strike proving the difference for the Seagulls. competition, ‘The 11’ to replace the long running Apprentice of the Month award. ? ? ? LFE’s Goal of the Month competition returns for another season and promises Starting this September, LFE will celebrate to be even bigger and better than ever. the success of eleven players on four Goal occasions during the 2013–14 season, Last season’s winning goals resulted in a fierce in line with apprentice review periods. competition for the Goal of the Season accolade but Our team of Regional Officers will each Crystal Palace winger Sullay KaiKai’s (pictured) right nominate one player from their caseload ? ? footed finish against Liverpool in the U18 Premier of the League last August proved a popular choice. of clubs with their judgements based ? on the following criteria: The competition will operate throughout the season • Academic progress with clubs asked to submit their nominations to LFE in the usual fashion. • Football progress month • Other factors: Including participation in external initiatives e.g. community work www.lfe.org.uk/goal-of-the-month or overcoming adversity of some form. Watch Sullay KaiKai’s winning goal from www.youtube.com/LFETV August and any of last season’s goals at: 2 3 WEB PERSON BLOG TWITTER VIDEO Got a story? Want to share news with other EMAIL news LFE partners? email: [email protected] PHONE Education Fantasy Mike Johnson AwardHOME Support Fund Spencer McCall picked up the Mike continually made his work relevant to his Johnson award for producing the journey as an aspiring footballer.” football best NVQ portfolio in the country “Spencer’s level of detail and qualityFACEBOOK of work last season. have contributed towards improving our standards of performance here at Stevenage The 18-year-old midfielder received a memento FC which sets an excellent example for returns and cheque for £250 from LFE as reward our existing scholars and really gives them for his efforts on his National Vocational something away from the football pitch to Qualification in Achieving Excellence in Sports aspire towards.” Performance Level 3 Diploma. Having played for Stevenage reserves and in LFE’s Fantasy Football is If you’ve not registered yet visit “I’m delighted for Spencer,” said tutor Stephen the successful FA Youth Cup run last season, back for another season fantasy.football-league.co.uk, The Education Support Fund will Payne, who also coached Spencer in the McCall was released by the club at the end of pick your team and join LFE’s operate once again during the 2013- Stevenage Under-18 team. “He always applied last term and has now signed for Wingate & himself professionally to the NVQ work and Used as a resource to help Apprentices complete private league by using code: 14 season but all clubs wishing to Finchley in the Ryman League. their Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Achieving Excellence in Sports Performance, players access it should be aware that levels of manage a budget of £20m and select their best financial support will be determined XI from the Football League Championship. 7409857 by external funding received by LFE. As in previous years cash prizes will be awarded The fund which was originally set-up in 2006 overcome adversity in some form during their for the top three placed Apprentices. A first Donald two-year Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence is designed to help clubs enhance and support place finish is worth £250 while those in second All requests to join the competition are (ASE) programme managed by LFE. verified by LFE. Please note that any the education of apprentice players. and third places can expect to collect £150 & inappropriate team names will be rejected. Bell was the first professional footballer to £100 respectively. Traditionally this has been used to fill any Bell award gaps in resources or equipment e.g. Desktop enlist in the Army during the First World War and went on to win a posthumous Victoria Computers, Laptops, Study Aids, IT, Sports Huddersfield Town’s Duane Holmes Science equipment etc, However, the Elite Cross for the bravery of his actions during Player Performance Plan has also brought the has been named as the inaugural an engagement in the Somme, France. WIN UP TO £250! delivery of life skills into sharp focus. winner of the Donald Bell Award by The 18-year-old who holds dual American Further details around funding levels, criteria League Football Education (LFE). and British passports after spending his early childhood years in the USA, said: “It was a CASH prizeS FOR THE and the claims process will be communicated Holmes received his prize last month in a massive surprise to receive this honour. I feel to clubs by no later than October 2013 – presentation made at half-time during the incredibly proud to be named as the first ever though immediate queries should be directed Terriers 5-1 rout of Bournemouth in the winner of the Donald Bell Award. When you TOP 3 AppreNTICES to Alan Sykes via email: Sky Bet Championship. “I love being at Huddersfield Town. hear about what he and others did during I can’t think of a better job and I hope The award which commemorates the memory both wars it is very humbling. This makes all www.fantasy.football-league.co.ukWEB | League code: 7409857 [email protected] WEB to now earn the opportunity to play of Donald Simpson Bell VC was instituted my hard work and perseverance over the last in the first-team on a regular basis.” to recognise the efforts of a player who has few years feel worthwhile.” PERSON PERSON 4 55 BLOG BLOG TWITTER TWITTER VIDEO VIDEO EMAIL EMAIL PHONE PHONE HOME HOME FACEBOOK FACEBOOK STERFIELD CHE FC Results might have been mixed but Chesterfield, Pre-season Middlesbrough and Tranmere’s Under-18 players all benefitted from their LFE arranged pre-season trip to the Netherlands. Here are postcards some of the best moments captured on camera. Learning about Amsterdam Middlesbrough ready ahead of a stroll round Who said school themselves for a tough the city was out for RO the summer? fixture v FC Twente O B ... but definitely not the hokey cokey approach to warming-up! In, out shake it all about... Junior Mondial grabs an equaliser as Boro come from a goal down to beat Ajax on their own patch Cameron Mason, Joe Massey and Mitch Mullins take While they enjoyed cycling the S questions from the press Chesterfield lads would be the first to admit that Team Sky have little to fear from them PIREITE Man overboard - Joe Bayne S falls into the water much to the horror or should Eddie Dakwa at that be amusement The Spireites line-up the Amsterdam arena Chesterfield v Vitesse of his team-mates ahead of their fixture with Vitesse Tranmere v Vitesse Arnhem The Rovers youngsters pose for a squad S photo on a much needed rest day VER O Academy physio Paul Rudkin has Liam R Davies, Jake Phillips & Mitch Duggan fighting fit Sam Ramsbottom has Conditions take a turn for the worse everything under control 6 Shaun Garnett runs through set-pieces 7 Walsall Birmingham City Birmingham Aspiring sports journalist and former West Bromwich Albion apprentice Gez Mulholland takes a look at how the Elite Player Performance Plan is being implemented at three clubs on his local patch Elite Player Performance Plan Midlands focus Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wanderers, While relegation may have put a dampener on “We take pride in our youth system and we are His Wolves counterpart Halsall agrees and can Birmingham City and Walsall may last season at Molineux, Halsall is acutely aware doing everything we can to be as close as see both sides of the coin having previously that by sitting at the top table at Academy level possible to Cat 2 standards which should mean worked at Walsall.