Boreham Wood Football Club are delighted to announce, that following a successful first trial, where 167 young hopefuls attended. That Barnet and Southgate College will be the clubs new full time education provider. The College will officially begin with the club from July 2014 and the initial contract will be for a period of three years.
The club has built its acclaimed Academy, through the work of ‘Wood’ Chairman Danny Hunter, his management team and coaching staff. The on field and education success has seen expansion of the scheme over the last twelve years and through its popularity has become real local success story.
The Academy has a proven track record of success year on year, in helping students to get to University, in preparing them for the work place, in improving them as footballers and in helping local schools through its community initiatives.
In the last 6 years the Academy has won numerous local and National titles and cups, as well as producing 12 England schoolboy and college internationals. It has helped boys to become top Non-League or professional footballers. It has also supported 8 boys, who have now successfully gone stateside, into the USA University system after winning Scholarships.
It is an amazing story of how a Sports/Education programmes hard work and endeavour, has created an Academy that has arguably become the largest, well respected and most successful scheme’s of its kind for 16-18 year olds in the UK.
The Barnet and Southgate College partnership is seen as the perfect enhancement of the scheme and an exciting leap forward for the club. As it will encompass a joint Sports/Education partnership, that will look after over 300 learners, it will cover three College campuses, it will create 14 football teams for all levels of ability, it will give the club the scope for an improved coaching programme and support further the students match day experience. The teams will play and train at two fantastic football facilities and it will allow the club to create a brand new Futsal programme, for the skilful indoor Futsal specialists.
Wood Chairman Danny Hunter said… “Academic success and sporting excellence is fundamental, if our new partnership is to succeed. As such I looked for an education partner, who was ambitious and forward thinking. I hoped to find an organisation who would work with us, share my desire to give existing students and our new recruits, a truly diverse choice of education programmes, incorporating the best in sporting excellence…”
“We hoped to find a college large enough to give the lads a choice of campuses, that would give both students and club alike the support needed and who already had, an established structure to get students either to university or into the work place.”
“We hoped to find a college who would truly support the club and students in our endeavours, to compete in the big National cup competitions, in producing players who can perhaps trial and become England College internationals and who will support talented students in their quest for scholarships to the USA”.
The Chairman continued “I’m now delighted, as I think I have found the perfect partner in Barnet and Southgate College who share my philosophy. I have known the Principle David Byrne for over 10 years and worked successfully with him in the past, when he was the Vice Principle at Oakland’s College on a similar project. David like me believes that education should be about choice and opportunity. As such we will offer our learners, ‘A’ levels, Construction, B-Tec and Personal Trainer courses, plus create a whole host of other programmes, all tailor made to suite student timetables and training schedules, which is very exciting”.. Hunter concluded.
Ex Arsenal player and Boreham Wood manager Ian Allinson said “this is a partnership that shows the fantastic progress the club has made behind the scenes in improving its facility. It’s no wonder students want to play there football at Meadow Park and for two of the biggest local organisations to get together, to educate and train over 300 students aged 16-18 is good news for the club, the college, the town and of course for the young player/students and I cannot see anything but success for all concerned”.
