The Ashwell Academicals youth football club provides a safe and welcoming environment for children of all abilities to express themselves through sport. We encourage young people to try their hardest, have fun and enjoy themselves.
8 teams ranging from under 7 ‘s to under 14’s are registered to play competitive matches as members of Royston Crow Youth Football League, often with more than one team per age group. An Under 6’s team also trains each week having great fun in preparation to enter the league when they reach the Under 7’s age bracket.
If you drive past Ashwell Rec on a Saturday morning you will see that it is a hive of activity, the two pitches there are almost always in constant use hosting matches from 10am to 12pm, and you’ll see the fun and excitement that the children gain from participating in this wonderful sport. The older age groups play at SmallGains Lane which is similarly at full capacity most Saturday and Sunday mornings on the bigger pitches. The Accies cater for all abilities, we take Lionel Messis and My Messys, it’s all about participation.
As we start the new football season can look back on the successes of the 2020/21 season:
- The under 12 ‘s had an almost unbeaten record gaining promotion to a higher division.
- The under 18’s season culminated in a thrilling Cup Semi-Final which they lost in the very last minute to deny them a fitting finale in a Cup Final.
- Under 13’s reached the final of the Tri-Counties Cup competition and met Letchworth Garden City in the Final. There was a great atmosphere down at the Small Gains ground as the Accies took a 2-1 lead with 10–minutes to play and the large home crowd was getting very excited…..Letchworth eventually got an equaliser with less than 5-minutes left and then showed their strength to score a last minute winner (it’s a recurring theme!) to thwart the Accies It was a great occasion ensuring that a tough season of interruptions, finished on a high.
A new addition this year is the Accies Girls team which covers Under 10’s and 11’s who will participate in the Hertfordshire Girls League. The team is looking for new players to join the squad, so come on girls….give it a go!
Many of the teams are mixed with boys and girls playing together. There are also girls specific training sessions from Under 7’s through Under 12’s. These have included occasional visits from professional Ladies football players.
A few words from Billie who plays for the mixed under 13’s team: “My favourite part of playing for the Accies is that it is like playing with family. I grew up with most of my team through pre-school and school. It is a gift to be able to meet up twice a week to play a game we all love. I am grateful for the support from the coaches who give up their free time to support us.”
“My overall best moment of the season was being brought back together after lockdown, not just to play football but to see each other and start to return to some sort of normality.”
For more information about our youth football teams contact us via this website, or email info@ashwellacademicals.com