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Langworthy proud of Cirencester's historic academy
ROSS Langworthy re-launched the UK's first Football & Education Academy at Cirencester Football Club and hopes the next generation of footballers will benefit on the pitch and academically.
"The club is very proud of the fact that it was the first Football & Education Academy to launch in the United Kingdom.
"It was always hugely important to the club and we're excited to re-launch a more modernised version of it.
"The Academy provides young players with the opportunity to train every day, at some of the best facilities in the South West, whilst gaining a universally recognised qualification that opens up a wide variety of employment and Higher Education possibilities.
"The footballing opportunities for our players are second-to-none, but we also pride ourselves on providing high quality Academic delivery to help our students succeed in the classroom as well as on the pitch.
"The aim is to provide the First Team with a consistent flow of quality young footballers, which will be of huge benefit to Charlie and his squad.
"The club has a long history of providing opportunities for local young footballers to take their first steps into senior Non-League football.
"The likes of Aidan Bennett and Ellis Dunton came through a similar pathway many years ago and are still key members of the first team squad today.
"The structure of the club is incredibly strong, with the Development Squad playing in the Hellenic League, it's an exciting time to be a young player at the club as those that are good enough will be given opportunities at Senior level, as Charlie has demonstrated this pre-season with Owen Windsor's impressive performances.
"We're really proud of the pathway that we can offer our students, it allows them to make a smooth transition from youth football into senior football, giving our lads the best chance of success."
Langworthy, an ex-Cirencester player, has been coaching since he was a pre-teen and says he took on the role at his former club due to his admiration for the Centurions.
"I thoroughly enjoyed my playing time at Cirencester Town, it's a fantastic club to play for and has a really friendly and close-knit feel to it.
"So many people do such fantastic work off the pitch and behind the scenes, and really make players feel welcome and valued.
"I've been coaching since I was 12 years old, having started by running an U8 grassroots team whilst I was still in school and playing at Aston Villa's Academy.
"I've been lucky enough to spend a long time working with Cheltenham Town and recently spent a year in New Zealand overseeing the football programme at a Private School.
"Working with talented young players is something that I've always enjoyed and something I've always been ambitious in.
"I've enjoyed a lot of success with the 16-19 age groups in roles with Cheltenham Town and whilst I was in New Zealand, so when the opportunity came up to work with talented players at a club that I had a very close personal connection with, it was a no-brainer really.
"As a current Southern League player, I feel I can relate well to the players because I've been in similar positions to them.
"I understand what motivates them and I know exactly what they need to work on to succeed at senior level, because I've been there myself.
"Being at a club that gives players opportunities to progress is incredibly
important to me, it's very satisfying to see young players learn and succeed in the game and it's my job now to help these players realise their potential.
"Charlie, Alan Lloyd (Development Team Manager) and myself have a great working relationship and are in constant communication about how players are doing, Charlie has been in to talk to the group and watch them train and play, so there are plenty of opportunities for the lads to impress him."
The Academy are working hard in training ahead of the upcoming National Alliance league campaign.
"We've just completed our first week of pre-season, which has included a couple of good training sessions and a home game to Torquay Academy in our first game as a group.
"We'll be doing a lot of tactical work and ball work in pre-season, and will carry out a variety of fitness tests which will support the lads' fitness-related BTEC modules by giving them data to use in their coursework and a strong practical understanding of what they are studying.
"We've now got just over a month to work on things and get ourselves ready for the start of the National Alliance league, the boys are working hard and are excited for the season and we want to get off to a strong start.
"With this being our first year since the re-launch, all of our players are U17's, whereas most of our opponents will be made up of predominantly U18 and U19 players, so it's going to be a physical challenge for our lads, but we've put together a talented squad that will be ready to compete and will be up for the challenge."
Langworthy also revealed the club are on the hunt for sponsors.
"The Football Club are always on the lookout for more sponsors to come on board and get involved, and the Academy is no different.
"We run a minibus service to and from Swindon on a daily basis, as well as transporting the squad to fixtures all over the South West on a weekly basis, which could bring great advertising opportunities for businesses.
"We've also got kit sponsorship available for interested companies, so there's certainly a number of ways that local businesses can get involved.
"It's an incredibly exciting time to be involved with Cirencester Town Football Club.
"The first team had a great season last year and will no doubt be looking to challenge near the top of the Southern League Division One this season, the new surface at the Corinium Stadium is spectacular and allows our teams to play very exciting and attacking football and the junior section is very strong.
The full-time Football & Education Academy will see the conveyor belt of talent continue and will play a key role in the long term future of the club, it's something we've all poured a lot of hours in to and something we're extremely proud and excited about."
This entry was posted on 14 August 2018 at 07:52 and is filed under Miscellaneous | Academy. You can leave a response here.
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