The Advanced Training Programme (ATP)

With Support From The Energy Efficient Homes Group...........Investing In The Future Of Youth Football!

With players as young as 5 up to 15 years of age, BFCCST has developed a comprehensive high quality football programme that meets the needs of aspiring young football players and gives them every opportunity to achieve their potential.  Players are selected via recommendations from our coaching staff working across our school, Saturday club, holiday course and extensive social inclusion programmes.

The last 12 months has seen further improvement in both the programme and funding.  We now have a coaching programme that finds a balance between Futsal and traditional main stream football coaching, with 200 boys attending two football centres across three different evenings.  Our U15s squad train twice a week with one session totally dedicated to Futsal.  Coaches Alan Barber (Director of the Energy Efficient Homes Group) Luis Melville and Ahmed Mattoui have been long serving coaches at our ATP and their energy and input has been integral to the development of the entire program.

The ATP has never recieved any form of financial support and has always had to remain self-sufficient, raising funds through training fees and fund-raising events.  A major development this year has been the securing of external financial support from local business.  The Energy Efficient Homes Group in Harrow agreed to invest £15,000 over the next three years in our football development programme, allowing us to subsidise families on low income and invest in high quality provision, facilities and equipment for our players.  External support such as this is a huge step forward and will improve the opportunities that our players have to enhance their football education and experiences.

To compliment the boys, Girls Development Officer Liz Foster has established the Girls Training Programme (GTP) which runs in parallel to the boys ATP at Featherstone.  The sessions have now been extended to two nights coaching two different age groups (U11/12 and U14/15) per week.  Talent identification is on-going as we seek to recruit new players to attend training with the aim of making the sqauds for The F.A. National Junior Futsal Finals 2008.  The girls also competed last year finishing runners-up.

The 3 year support from the Energy Efficient Homes Group will ensure that the ongoing development work of our ATP/GTP and Futsal programmes can be maintained and extended to give all participants the opportunity to develop their football education.

West Country Cup

Each year the boys compete in the West Country Cup in Newquay.  Last year (2007) 13 teams participated with over 200 boys and their families making the trip to Newquay.  The tour forms one of the highlights of the community calendar and has proved to be an invaluable part of our players football experience.