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You can also follow SSCFA on X (@staffsscchoolsfa) for the latest news and updates.
Harley Gray
Toby Meakin
Tom Pochin
Harry McNevin
Jamie Maddocks Brown
Zac Binns
Ted Dawson
Matt Tooley
Alfie Bromley
Rafael Tolchala
Liam O’Brien
Will Castle
George Lloyd
Jonathan Palmer
Luca Taylor
Zack Roberts
George Lycett
Jude King
Siraj Ahmed
Further to the recent trials, the following boys have been chosen to be part of this Season's U14 County Schoolboys squad. The squad size is slightly bigger than usual, due to several Boys being unable to attend the second trial due to unforeseen injury or illness and the cancellation of the planned friendly on Monday 30th September, due to the weather.
The quality of this year's trials have been fantastic and this has made it very difficult for the coaches to choose a balanced squad. Congratulations to those Boys who were successful and commiserations to the Boys who just missed out, who should be encouraged to trial again next season. Jay Bisson GK
Evan Wakeham GK
Cole Alcock
Alfie Clowes
Pep Clewlow
Harry Biddulph
Travis Lewis
Oliver Fryer
Max Baker
Joseph Bossoms
Edward Robinson
Oliver Owen
Reico Morgan
Olly Colclough
Bailey Jasper
Beau Bridges
Matty O’Neill
Maksymillian Jez
Olly Fairhurst
William Howle
Rio Preston
Ted Faulkner
Izaac Gulliver
The following players have been selected to attend a final trial at Wolgarston High School at 4:15pm on Monday 7th October to determine the final squad for Staffordshire SCFA Under 18 Boys. All players listed below are asked to confirm their attendance via Team Manager Mark Culverhouse. Toby Meakin
James Hough
Liam Prendergast
Tom Pochin
Oscar Ramsden
Leo Fortune
Harry McNevie
Prine Chigozie Isilve
Siraaj Ahmed
Jackson Knight
Elliott Harris
Liam O'Brien
Harry Archer
Rafael Tolchala
Tyler Draper
Jude King
George Lloyd
Under 16 Girls Manager Rob Wakelin has announced the following girls as successful in making the squad to represent Staffordshire Under 16 Girls for the coming season. Thank you to everyone who attended the trials, and congratulations to those selected this year. Poppy Mole Summer Ratcliffe Maisie Bryan Niyah Short Ava Fisher Yvie Taylor Lilian D’Almeida Susannah Nash Larna Downie Lola Taylor Marnie Drake Krystal Trinh Sydney Gillan Amelie Holt Martha Hill Gracie Rodgers Beth Henstock Ellie Taylor Jess MacMurray Evie Fleeman Zuza Polomska Imogen Marchesi A huge congratulations to the following girls who have been selected to represent Staffordshire Schools and Colleges FA Under 14 Girls this season, and commiserations to those not selected this year. Bella Hobday (GK) Lacey Rose Potter (GK) Lucy Taylor Ava Armstrong Frankie Smith Kaci Durose Lailie Brock Lydia Taylor Mollie Corbett Lily Jones Ruby Biddulph Yvie Hughes Jess Ulwett Lacey Wood Jess Jelfs Jaimee-Leigh Walker Scarlett Ratcliffe Neve Walker Lexi Mciver Xanthe Hopwood Lois Heming Well done to all the players for making it through to the final trial. Manager Lee Sage commented that there was excellent football and attitudes on display, resulting in an extremely difficult selection process. Best wishes to all those not selected this time. Congratulations to the below players, who have been chosen to represent Staffordshire SCFA Under 16 Boys for the 24/25 season. Drew Thomas
Tom Dobson
Josh Griffiths
Chinemere Agugbor (Prince)
Guy Nono
Charlie Stone
Drew Turner
Finley Burne
Joel Florey
Jack Anderson
Josh Ward
Kian White
Maksymilian Zimnoch
Joe Wilcox
Oliver Hall
Oliver Shaw
Reece Payne
Fraser Hamilton-Wright
Corey Ellis
Joel Lillis
*2 players remain on standby.
Further congratulations to the following players, who (after a massive selection headache!) have been chosen to represent Staffordshire for the coming season:
Addison Tranter
Alfie Bedlow
Jacob Shelley
Sam Barratt-Meldrum
Charlie Corrigan
Lloyd Oebel-Marsh
Jude Wootton
Jenson Newall
Harry Pilgrim
Leo Williams
Daniel Hood
Olly Stone
James Wesley
Jake Hearn
Ryan Sjoerdsma
Ted Calladine
Oliver Grindey
Successful players' parents need to check their given email address for further instructions.
*NB: 2 further players ONLY will be assessed in upcoming friendly games, as their unavoidable absence in Trial 2 was communicated to SSCFA well in advance of the trial taking place. No further ‘no-shows’ from the trial will be assessed until next summer’s U16 process.
Joshua Mabbley Charlie Parry Tom Dobson Jenson Harris Beau Carroll-Knight Joshua Griffiths Guy Nono Peter Dallow James Skelton Drew Thomas Harry Virgo Leon Bennett Taylor Bailey Adam Lucas Oliver Rasdall Harrison Tranter Rio Barnett Ceron Griffiths Ella-louise Butler Lacey Rose Potter Lucy Taylor Ava Armstrong Maisie Hall Isabella Harrison Kaci Durose Frankie Smith Lailie Brock Lydia Taylor Mollie Corbett Lily Jones Yvie Hughes Lacey Rusby Eva Somers Jess Jelfs Lois Heming Tiana-Mai Hamnett Xanthe Hopwood Neve Walker Freya Watling Amber Jackson Lacey Wood Jaimee-Leigh Walker Scarlett Ratcliffe Ruby Biddulph Imogen Edge Bryan Maisie Carr Millie D'Almeida Lilian Trinh Krystal Gaynor Mariette Gillan Sydney Marie Holt Amelie Leyland Orla Mackay Anna Nash Susannah Rodgers Amber Swainston Olivia Following the 1st Under 14 Boys trial on 15/07/2024, Manager Neil Davies has named the following players to be invited back for the final trial in September (further details to follow). A huge thank you to everyone who attended the trial for their attitude and performance, and commiserations to those not successful this year. Evan Wakeham John Taylor High School Jay Bisson Painsley Catholic School Ethan Brakner Heath Kings CofE School Ollie Williams SUA Cole Alcock Blyth Bridge High School Alfie Clowes Painsley Catholic Academy Max Baker Walton High Ollie Aston BWH Harry Biddulph Kingsmead Travis Lewis Kingsmead Oliver Fryer Blyth Bridge High School Edward Robinson Wombourne High Oliver Owen Excel Academy Sam Smith King Edward VI Maxwell Crofts Netherstowe High School Junior Tierney Adams Rawlett High School Reico Morgan SUA Kieran Heaton Orme Academy Ted Faulkner Walton High Maksymillian Jez Painsley College Isaak Gulliver Stafford Grammar Rio Preston Endon High William Howle Clayton Hall Academy Caleb Butcher Blessed Robert Sutton Freddie Hutchison John Taylor School James Daniels The Friary School Olly Fairhurst Paulet High Matty O’Neill BWH Joseph Bossoms (Attended but don’t know the school) Thank you to all players who attended the trials for the new U15 boys side on 1st July. The standard was excellent, and the coaching staff now find themselves with more decisions to make than they had initially thought, which is always a good problem to have. The following players have been selected to advance to the final trial, which will be held in September, and will also include the current County squad from the 2023-2024 U14 boys season. Ryan Sjoerdsma Harry Roberts Jayden Bonser Kaelem Mayer Ellis Morley Evyn Thwaite Hipkiss Miles Bradbury Bailey Arrowsmith Jacob Jones Kyle Williams Ted Calladine Bogdan Oliver Grindey Oscar Horton Martin Matalik Michael Umeh* *No contact details left – need to message SSCFA via ‘Contact Us’ button on website A huge thank you from everyone at SSCFA to all of the schools who competed in the 2023-2024 inter-school competitions, and a massive congratulations to the following winning teams this year: Under 11 Girls: Willows Under 11 Boys: St Theresa Under 12 Girls: Chelsyn Hay Under 12 Boys: Landau Forte QEMS Under 13 Girls: John Taylor High Under 13 Boys: Excel Academy Under 14 Girls: Weston Road Under 14 Boys: Cardinal Griffin Under 15 Girls: Blythe Bridge Under 15 Boys: John Taylor High Under 16 Girls: John Taylor High Under 16 Boys: De Ferrers Under 18 Boys: Codsall SSCFA Chairman Matt Skinner on the 2023-2024 season: Firstly, I would like to thank Mark Warren for his endless work as the heartbeat of Staffordshire Schools FA, without his efforts Staffs Schools FA would be nowhere near as strong as it currently is. I would also like to thank all the volunteers that give up their time to assist the association in so many different ways, from Team Managers, Coaches to Administrators who’s work however big or small is valued immensely. As always there have been a number of success’ throughout the season, namely the U18 Boys retaining their National Cup and both the Under 16 boys and the Under 16 girls winning their league titles this season- a fantastic achievement and well done to all involved. A special mention must go to Jonah Scutt who plays for our U18 boys who was selected to represent England in this years Centenary Shield- a superb achievement. I feel we as an association we can all be proud the amount of opportunities that the Association has provided for Staffordshire’s footballers. Stafford Town FC were again our hosts for our home fixtures, and our grateful thanks go to Paul Beedell and his team who make us welcome and keep the facilities in superb condition, as mentioned by numerous teams visiting the ground. Finally, I would like to congratulate all of the Schools that were victorious in this years County Cup competitions, I am confident their success will live long in their memories! Staffs U16 Boys 3 Derbyshire U16 Boys 1 The Under 16 Boys brought the curtain down on the County season with a title clinching win against a tough Derbyshire side at Eccleshall FC on Monday 29th April. To think that the team lost their first Midland Counties game 6-1 to West Midlands, this was some effort to come back with 4 wins and a draw from their next 5 games to pip West Midlands and Derbyshire to the title. This however has been the culmination of a 3 year journey, one with many low points from when they began their County journey at Under 14’s. With a few changes of players over the 3 years and by gradually getting the Boys to believe in themselves, plus finding a formation that suited the team, they started to turn the corner and what a way for them to finish! Both Staffs and Derbyshire went into the final two games against each other knowing that 4 points for either side would be enough to overtake West Midlands. After the incredible late drama of the first game away at Eastwood FC which ended in a 3-3 draw, both teams knew that it was a must win game. The first half was pretty even with both teams searching for that all important opening goal and Staffs found just about the perfect time to get it, just a minute before the break. Tyler Draper racing onto a great through ball to smash a stunning 25 yard strike in off the underside of the bar. Half Time 1-0. Everyone knew that the next goal was going to be crucial and that’s what all the talk was about in the dressing room at Half Time, with the Staffs Management team stressing how important the early stages of the second period were going to be. It would have been easy to have sat back and tried to hold onto the one goal advantage but that’s not the way that this team plays. With Kevin Acheampong and Liam O’Brien seeming to cover every blade of grass in midfield and Alfie Hancock leading the line superbly, the Staffs boys deservedly got the vital second goal, with talisman Stan Straw scoring from close range following a great corner by another man of the match contender Harry Caton. The lads were now playing with confidence and the third goal soon followed as Staffs broke and the ever dangerous Siraaj Ahmed sprinted clear of the Derbyshire defence to finish. Little did we know that poor Siraaj had cracked a rib earlier in the game and subsequently was at A&E until 4.30am! That mentality and will to win summed up the whole team and squad performance on the night and whilst Derbyshire did pull a consolation goal back in truth there was only ever going to be one winner. The post match celebrations and trophy presentation were as you can imagine emotional as it brought to an end one hell of a journey for this group of players and coaches. I’m sure the night, along with their County journey will live long in the memory of the whole squad. Credit to Derbyshire who played well and were gallant and gracious losers, this was however Staffordshire’s night! The whole squad, including the Boys not involved on the night deserve enormous credit for never giving up, listening to their coaches and giving 100% when it mattered. We wish them all every success and look forward to hearing more of their individual football stories. Quite a few will be eligible to continue playing County football for the Under 18’s where they get the opportunity to enjoy a further 2 years representing Staffordshire. Many thanks to all of the Parents, Families and Friends who attended the game and gave the team their backing. Through thick and thin they have been wonderfully supportive, which makes coaches Neil Davies and Liam Davies' job so much easier.
The squad entered the This Girl Kicks tournament in October ‘23 at Gloucester City FC with no real expectation other than to enjoy the experience against older girls. The 2 day tournament saw the Staffs girls crowned TGK champions after winning on penalties against Worcestershire!.
In the league, the girls secured wins against Derbyshire (5-0), Shropshire (3-0), Lincolnshire (1-0), a home draw against West Midlands (1-1) and a home victory against Warks (4-1). This set up a Winner Takes All away match against our very good friends and rivals, Worcestershire. This game lived up to all the expectations of a classic with Staffs gaining a 4-5 victory late in the game to secure the league title amongst the wild celebrations!.
The only defeat of the season came away from home at the hands of Durham (1-2) in the ESFA National Cup QF.
Rob Wakelin and Mark Wood would like to thank all of the girls for their outstanding contribution and commitment to the team and also to the brilliant parents who have travelled far and wide. Particular thanks go to Kit Lady, Karen Lovell and Physio, Claire Sharp. Special mentions for Poppy Mole, Eloise Mott and Maddie Bradley, who all picked up serious injuries during the campaign.
Congratulations to all of the girls below who were all part of the outstanding success on the pitch… Staffs CSFA wish you every success in your future football journey.
Courtney Hutchison GK
Ellie Taylor GK
Ellie Cserpnyak
Maddie Bradley
Poppy Mole
Jess MacMurray
Eloise Mott
Imogen Marchesi
Freya Milligan
Lola Harper
Mia Wheeler
Grace McGinty
Evie Fleeman
Zuza Polomska
Ella Sharp
Cait Deeley
Kameal Ellis
Daisy Chapman
Ruby Gidman
Eva Rose Tankard
Laila Tunstall
It’s here! Our biggest fundraiser prize of the year! Thank you very much to Alex Hearn and Liv Retreats, who have donated a generous and special prize: **A 2-NIGHT STAY IN A SECRET GARDEN LUXURY LODGE, AT LIV RETREATS’ WOODLAKES PARK IN NORFOLK !! ** (worth £600) Read more: Norfolk holiday park rolls out new luxury lodges Escape to the serene beauty of Woodlakes Park, a breathtaking getaway nestled in 66 acres of lush landscape and surrounded by 5 tranquil fishing lakes. Located in the charming town of Kings Lynn, just 39 km from Peterborough and 44 km from Skegness, this hidden gem offers the perfect blend of seclusion and accessibility. Explore the surrounding area, from the stunning north Norfolk coast just a short 40-minute drive away to the historic Sandrigham Estate, just 25 km from the property. Take advantage of the on-site activities such as fishing and cycling (at an extra charge) or take a short trip to nearby Hunstanton and Ely. The park also offers free private parking on site and is just 70 km from the nearest airport, Norwich International Airport. Experience the tranquility and serenity of Woodlakes Park, where nature meets luxury. Tickets: £25 each Enter: https://app.teamfeepay.com/s/qxspfAAAPJ Winner will be drawn on 9th May 2024 via TeamFeePay’s random ticket selection bot. TERMS & CONDITIONS: Stay to be redeemed Jan-Mar or Oct-Dec only. No cash or other alternative to main prize. Funds raised will support SSCFA’s running costs - which are around £8000 per annum, with funding for Schools’ football dwindling yearly. Staffordshire do not and will not charge players to play County football, as it is against our fundamental beliefs to do so. If you would like to support County football in Staffordshire, please enter and/or share far and wide to as many people and on as many platforms as you can! As you may know, Staffordshire Schools’ & Colleges’ FA passionately believe that representing your school at county-level are an enormous privilege. As such, we have not, do not and will not charge weekly subs, or registration fees to our players. Players are chosen because they DESERVE it: not because their family can afford it. What you may not know, is that SSCFA costs about £8000 a year to run, and brings in only about 25% of that. To keep County football alive in Staffordshire, we will be running monthly fundraisers to boost our income. !!UNLIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE!! !!The Online system will automatically draw ONE winner on 4th March!! 40% of all collected monies paid to the winner; 60% to SSCFA to help with running costs. https://app.teamfeepay.com/s/DLdGrGyipH Good luck, and thanks for your support. Any sharing of this to friends, family, volunteers, and alumni would be hugely appreciated. Everyone at Staffordshire Schools and Colleges FA hopes our players, parents, coaches, volunteers and officials had a happy and relaxing festive period, and we wish a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year to everyone involved with the association for 2024. Last week our Under 16 Girls took part in This Girl Kicks two day tournament. During the group stage the girls were 2-0 victors over Sunderland (Gidman x2), held Warwickshire to a 1-1 draw (Gidman), and then beat Shropshire 3-0 (Milligan, Sharp, Deeley) to secure their place in the final. The final was another fixture against Shropshire, with a tight game finishing 0-0. After a tense penalty shootout Staffordshire Under 16 Girls won on penalties 5-4 to hand them the trophy. A huge well done to all of the girls for this phenomenal achievement, which included 4 Staffs players named in the team of the tournament (Eva Rose Tankard, Ruby Gidman, Leila Tunstall, and Zuzanna Polomska). Coaches Rob Wakelin and Mark Wood were delighted with the team's peformances over the tournament, and would also like to thank Gary Barrell, This Girl Kicks, and Gloucester City AFC for their organisation and hospitality. More can be found on X (formerly Twitter) here - https://twitter.com/THISGIRLKICKS Tomorrow's Under 16 Girls ESFA fixture vs South Yorkshire at Stapenhill FC has been cancelled (Monday 6th November) and will rearranged at a later date (tbc). Following the conclusion of trials, Under 18 Boys Manager Mark Culverhouse has announced the following players are included in the squad to represent Staffordshire Schools' and Colleges' FA Under 18 Boys in the 2023-2024 season. A huge thanks to all of the players who trialled, and we wish those who were unsuccessful this time the best for this season. Well done to the following players: Jonty Kearns Harley Gray Tom Pochin Matt Tooley Jude Dale Jamie Maddox Brown Doug Hughes Archie Russel Joe Worley Ted Dawson Ben Hackett Charlie King Charlie Jones Dan Hughes Luca Taylor Mario Novaku George Lycett Jonah Scutt Zach Roberts Tom Taylor Staffordshire Under 14 Boys 2 - 1 West Midlands Under 14 Boys On Monday evening Staffordshire's Under 14 Boys travelled to West Midlands for their first competitive fixture of the season at Castle Vale Stadium. Staffordshire started on the front foot, pressing the West Midlands high in their own half as they struggled to deal with the intensity and physicality of Charlie Corrigan, Max Bailey and Jacob Shelley. Staffs pressure resulted in a corner after 15 minutes, and a smart header back across goal from Jude Wooton led to a goal mouth scramble before defender Lloyd Oebel-Marsh cooly slotted home to score his second goal in two games. In a dominant first half performance only missing a healthier lead, Sam Barratt-Meldrum and Harrison Lewis continued to stretch West Midlands down the left hand side, and Olly Stone came close to doubling the lead after another dazzling run in behind. After half-time West Midlands changed their shape which caused some issues for Staffordshire, and this time it was West Midlands who made the most out of a scrappy corner to equalise and make it 1-1 with about 25 minutes remaining. However, the immediate introduction of Leo Williams saw Staffordshire retake the lead; Leo won the ball, skipped past his man and unleashed an absolute rocket into the top corner from 25 yards out to make it 2-1. Whilst Staffordshire continued to look for a third goal that would finish the game, Addison Tranter was on hand to marshall the defence, Filip Ciurzak made a crucial save, and James Wesley worked tirelessly to extinguish any West Midlands progress. The game finished 2-1, handing Staffordshire their first win of the season. A huge thanks goes to our friends at West Midlands' CSFA for their kind welcome and hospitality, and to the parents/guardians of the players for their fantastic support. The Under 16 Boys coaches have named the following squad for Monday's fixture against Shropshire (23/10/2023, 7:00pm KO). Finlay Jones Toby Meakin Isaac Smart Stan Straw Leo Fortune Kerr Dollochin Siraaj Ahmed Kevin Acheampong Liam O’Brien Jordan Lipp Jude King Alfie Machin Harry McNevin Alfie Hancock Will Sutton Alfie Mason Eccleshall U18’s 2 - 9 Staffordshire County U16 Boys The first competitive game of the season for Staffs new U16 Boys team saw them playing a friendly away against Eccleshall U18 Boys MJPL team. Both teams started brightly but it took around 25 minutes before Alfie Hancock grabbed the first goal of what was to be a great night for him personally with a neat finish. Eccleshall then levelled shortly after with a fine long range effort that flew in off the post. Despite a lot of chances Staffs didn’t fully make the hosts pay until Alfie Hancock notched his 2nd and 3rd goals just before the break to settle the team down. The Coaches used the Half Time break to make 7 changes, utilising all of the squad members available on the night and giving County debuts to several new players who didn’t disappoint. The Staffs boys laid siege to the Eccleshall goal adding another six goals in the 2nd half, including a ‘second’ Hat-Trick from Alfie Hancock. Further goals from Tyler Draper and debut goals by Alfie Mason and a thumping header from Kerr Dollochin completed the goals for a rampant Staffs team with the hosts grabbing a late consolation. This was a good warm up game before next week’s Midlands Counties opener at home to holders Shropshire who will no doubt provide a stern test as always. Many thanks to Eccleshall for hosting the fixture and making everyone so welcome. Man of the Match went to Alfie Hancock for his 6 goals but there were some really good performances all round, especially Jude King and Siraaj Ahmed who caused problems for the Home side all game. Thanks to all Parents and supporters who came to watch what proved to be a highly entertaining game. Staffordshire Under 16 Girls 5 - 0 Derbyshire Under 16 Girls On Monday 16th October Staffordshire's Under 16 Girls welcomed Derbyshire to Stafford Town for the first competitive home fixture of the 2023-2024 season. Following a positive and upbeat warm up, Staffordshire pressed well from kick off and dominated the first encounters. Staffs had to be patient but a fine run from Ella Sharp through the Derbyshire defence resulted in a clinical finish to open the scoring. Soon after Grace McGinty was through on goal following a threaded ball in behind and finished smartly to make it 2-0. Despite Derbyshire's efforts, Staffordshire continued to dominate with Ella Sharp scoring her second goal of the game after another pinpoint through ball, making it 3-0 at half-time. The second half continued in a similar manner to the first, with Ella Sharp securing her hat-trick after 52 minutes to make it 4-0. An opening for Ella Louise allowed her to slot home cooly to make it 5-0 to Staffordshire before the final whistle. Manager Rob Wakelin and Head Coach Mark Wood would like to thank Derbyshire for the fixture and wish them the best of luck for the remainder of the season. Congratulations go to the Staffordshire girls on a fantastic start to the season, and thank you as ever to the parents and guardians for their excellent support. Results for all county fixtures for the 2023-2024 season can be found here. Staffordshire Schools and Colleges FA are delighted to announce that the Andy Griffin Football Academy (AGFA) have continued their incredible support of the association by sponsoring our Under 16 Boys and Under 16 Girls teams for the 2023-2024 season. Everyone at Staffordshire Schools' and Colleges' FA are hugely appreciative to Andy Griffin and NSCG for their continued unwavering support of schoolboy and schoolgirl representative football in Staffordshire. As part of the NSCG Academy of Sport across Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, the AGFA offers a two-year full-time programme aimed at talented young male and female players who have aspirations to play football at a high level or work in the football industry, but also appreciate the value of a top class education. Previous alumni include SSCFA's Ethan Cartwright and David Neligwa, who both went on to represent England Schoolboys Under 18 between 2017-2019. For more information about the AGFA's expertise, programme, academic offering and open day details, visit the AGFA website - https://nscg.ac.uk/about-us/sport/andy-griffin-football-academy. More information about AGFA is featured in our Sponsors Page, and you can also can get in touch with AGFA at the Newcastle Campus (agfa.newcastle@nscg.ac.uk) and Stafford Campus (agfa.stafford@nscg.ac.uk), or via telephone (01782 254198). Following the conclusion of the Under 15 Boys trials, Manager Lee Sage has named the following boys in the squad to represent Staffordshire Schools' Under 15 Boys for the upcoming 2023-2024 season. Congratulations to all who trialled for setting an excellent standard and leaving the coaching staff with many difficult decisions, and commiserations go to those not selected this time. Having narrowed down 60 trialists to the following players, those selected should be very proud of their achievement in making the final squad. All successful players will be, or have been, notified by email, and manager Lee Sage will soon be in contact via Spond. Fraser Hamilton-Wright Oliver Shaw Reece Payne Oliver Hall Charlie Stone Finley Byrne Jack Anderson Jack Hankin Kian White Maksymilian Zimnoch Joel Lillis Drew Turner Joshua Ward Joe Wilcox Joel Florey Corey Ellis George MacDonald Olly Poole Zack Moore Archie Bunn Joe Higham Dominic Harper Samuel Mitchell The first round draws for this season's Schools Competitions fixtures have been drawn and can be found here in addition to the competition rules. Following the final trial on Monday evening, Manager Neil Davies has selected the following boys to represent Staffordshire Under 16 Boys for the 2023-2024 season. Congratulations go to all successful trialists, and commiserations to those who were unsuccessful this time. Finlay Jones Toby Meakin Harry McNevin Isaac Smart Stan Straw Leo Fortune Travis Cane Siraaj Ahmed Kevin Acheampong Alfie Machin Liam O'Brien Alfie Hancock Will Sutton Jude King Tyler Draper Harry Caton Beck Twigg Kerr Dollochin Jordan Iipp Alfie Mason After a hugely difficult 2 hours after the trial deliberating, the coaching staff have made their decisions for the final U14 squad. High numbers in similar positions made some decisions exceptionally difficult, and all players in attendance last night should most definitely be nominated for U15 trials in July, as margins were very fine and can change! Details of next steps have been sent out to all those selected. Many thanks to all who attended the trial, and contributed to such an excellent standard on show. The following players have been selected to attend the final Under 16 Boys trial on Monday 18th September at 7:30pm. Players are asked to arrive for 7:15pm in their own kit ready to play. The venue is Stafford Town FC, which has a 3G pitch. Finlay Jones Toby Meakin Stan Straw Leo Fortune Travis Cane Freddie Rushton Harry McNevin Siraaj Ahmed Ryan Bridgett Liam O’Brien Archie Saunders Kevin Acheampong Isaac Smart Harrison Smith Euan Harris Alfie Machin Evan Wynne Ted Bloor Tyler Draper Jude King Alfie Hancock Will Sutton Harry Caton Lewis Wafer Prince Chigozie Isilue Antonis Antoniou Liam Proctor Beck Twigg Kerr Dollochin Addison Lake Jack Blood Andy Ornelas Jordan Lipp Alfie Mason Following the 1st trial for the upcoming Staffordshire Schools and Colleges Under 14 Boys team for 2023-2024, Manager Bailey Evans and the rest of the coaching staff were delighted with the talent on show on Monday evening. Congratulations to all the boys who attended, who set a very high bar and gave the coaching staff numerous headaches and dilemmas! Commiserations go to those not selected to advance this time, but we wish everyone the best for the upcoming season. We hope to see all of the boys again next year for U15 trials. The following boys have been selected to attend the final trial in September (date tbc): Henri Barber Addison Tranter Lloyd Obel-Marsh Jude Wooton Leo Williams Charlie Corrigan Broden Kendall Sam Howell Sam Barratt-Meldrum Dylan Tootle Oli Fowler Freddie Hodgkinson James Wesley Luke Marandola Max Bailey Dan Tomlinson Jacob Suthon Jayden Stone Harry Pilgrim Jack Danks Filip Curzcak Harrison Lewis Jake Hearn Finn Dono Harry Cummings Jamie Winfield Alfie Bedlow Tom Alcock Jacob Shelley Jacob Dean-Ford Olly Stone Ruben Rai Ryan Sjoerdsma The trials for SSCFA's county representative teams for the upcoming 2023-2024 season will be held at Stafford Town FC. As per the previous post, the only way players can attend trials is to be nominated by their school PE teacher, in which forms have already been sent out. Players should come pre-changed in their own kit due to the numbers involved - changing rooms and toilet facilities will be available on the evening. Bibs will be provided to players to help with identification. Players should arrive 15 minutes prior to the trial start time to register. Managers will then inform the players in attendance of the selection process. The following dates are when the initial trials for the 2023-2024 season will take place: Monday 3rd July - Under 14 Girls - 6pm Start Monday 3rd July - Under 16 Girls - 7:30pm Start Monday 17th July - Under 15 Boys - 6pm Start Monday 17th July - Under 16 Boys - 7:30pm Start Monday 24th July - Under 14 Boys - 6pm Start Under 18 Boys - tbc Ahead of Staffordshire Schools and Colleges AGM this week, secretary Mark Warren has provided a brief report following the conclusion of the 2022-2023 season: Stafordshire's Under 16 and Under 18 Boys competed in the Northern Counties League for the first time, with our other boys and girls representative teams competing as usual in the Midland Counties League. Overall, 46 county representative fixtures took place across SSCFA's six teams. The Under 18 Boys winning the ESFA Inter-County Cup in such a thrilling manner at Stoke City FC was a fantastic end to the season for Staffordshire. The association's inter-schools competitions have continued to flourish this season, with increased numbers of schools taking part and with more teams entered across age groups for boys and girls. Congratulations go to all of the winning schools, which can be found in the schools competitions page. Of 13 finals, 11 of them were won by different schools, with each final very well supported by schools, friends, and families. I would like to put on record my thanks to the individual school teachers responsible for their sides who without them the inter school competitions would not run as smoothly as they do. Stafford Town FC were again our hosts for the vast majority of our home county fixtures, and our grateful thanks go to Paul Beedell and his team including the rangers who make us welcome and keep the facilities in superb condition, as mentioned by numerous teams visiting the ground. Two other grounds were used this season, with our thanks going to Terry Homer and his team at Brocton FC for making us welcome at the club, as well as thanks to all staff at Eccleshall FC for their warm welcome and hospitality. Staffordshire Schools and Colleges FA could not function without the tremendous teamwork and effort of all our team managers, coaches, volunteers and match officials, and I would like to thank them for their continued support in running the Association. We look forward to seeing you again next season for another action-packed schedule for our boys and girls representative teams, with trials for next season to begin in the coming weeks. As has been the case for many years, the only way players can attend trials is to be nominated by their school PE teacher, in which forms have already been sent out, although some schools have yet to return these. Wishing all of our players, parents and guardians, coaches, volunteers, officials and the wider community a relaxing summer as term comes to a close, with the Women's World Cup to look forward to in July and August. Under 18s manager Mark Culverhouse has provided the following match report after Sunday's thrilling national final victory against Sussex: Staffordshire CSFA Under 18 Boys 6 - 4 Sussex CSFA Under 18 Boys The first goal was a great cross from Charlie King that resulted in a missed clearance that was hammered in from close range by the on rushing Dan Hughes. The second goal came about with a slack pass from Sussex picked up on the edge of the area by Dan Hughes. He beat two players and finished from outside the box - a great finish after some neat footwork. The third goal was scored when a Charlie King corner came back off the crossbar for Doug Hughes to head in from close range. Not a bad start for the Hughes twins after 10 minutes. At half time Staffordshire led 3-0 and looked fairly comfortable having hit the post and cross bar as well. Sussex started the second half well and got back into the game with a great through ball for their centre forward to nip in between the two Staffordshire defenders, round the advancing keeper and neatly score from just inside the box. Sussex further reduced the deficit with a corner hit to the back post to be put away with a strong far post header to make it 3-2. Staffordshire then went really close to scoring and extending the league with Sam Scott narrowly missing having beaten the GK to the ball. However, Sussex got a third from a ball into the box set back to be drilled in from the penalty spot and then completely turned the game upside down with a goal directly from a corner that was caught on the wind. With only two minutes to go Mohit Naphray stole the ball in his own half. The ball was played forward to Rafferty Winnall who set it back to Naphray who plays a neat pass to Charlie King. King played a slide rule defence splitting pass for Winnall to finish in the bottom left corner to make it 4-4. In the 90th minute Dan Hughes hooks the ball forward for Winnall to run clean through and finish in the bottom right hand corner and spark absolute scenes with the team all celebrating in front of the camera. Unbelievably the goals hadn’t finished as from a long goal kick the ball was helped on to Jonah Scutt who fed Man of the Match Charlie King to run in and finish through one of the defenders legs. An amazing day. The Staffordshire lads showed a great spirit to fight back having thought they’d won the game, then lost only to actually win it right at the end. A day that will live long in the memory for players, coaches, family and friends.. Goal-scorers: 1-0 (3mins) Dan Hughes 2-0 (5 mins) Dan Hughes 3-0 (9 mins) Doug Hughes HT 3-0 3-1 (53) 3-2 (60) 3-3 (72) 3-4 (76) 4-4 (88) Rafferty Winnall 5-4 (90) Rafferty Winnall 6-4 (93) Charlie King Staffordshire Squad: GK Jonty Kearns - King Edwards Lichfield 2 - Tom Taylor - Chase Terrace Academy 3 - Finn Murray - Stafford College 4 - Doug Hughes - Wolgarston High School 5 - Jack Bostock (c) - King Edwards Lichfield 6 - Ben Hackett - The Weston Road Academy 7 - Charlie King - Blessed William Howard 8 - Dan Hughes - Wolgarston High School 9 - Jonah Scutt - Stafford College 10 - Mario Novaku - Codsall High School 11 - Will Finlay - Erasmus Darwin School 12 - Matty Steadman - Stafford College 14 - Ben Runacus - De Ferrers School 15 - Mohit Naphray - Codsall High School 16 - Sam Scott - Cardinal Griffin School 17 - Rafferty Winnall - Kingsmead High School Click the links below to see some images from a memorable day. Yesterday the Under 18 Boys from Staffordshire Schools and Colleges FA took on Sussex in the ESFA Inter-County National Final at Stoke City FC. The boys ended up triumphant following a thrilling 10 goal spectacle at the Bet365 Stadium. Having taken a 3-0 lead after 10 minutes, Staffordshire trailed 4-3 with only 2 minutes of the scheduled 90 remaining. Remarkably this did not phase the Under 18 Boys, who showed incredible spirit, heart, and determination to score 3 goals in quick succession. The final finished 6-4 to Staffordshire, culminating in spectacular celebrations from the boys and the Under 18 coaches Mark Culverhouse, Greg Valentine, and Matt Skinner. A huge congratulations from everyone at SSCFA to Staffordshire's Under 18 Boys and a massive thank you to all of the friends and families who have supported the team. A full match report is to follow, and the whole match can be accessed on YouTube by clicking the link below. Relive Staffordshire's Under 18 Boys winning the National Championship here! Monday evening saw Staffordshire Schools FA hold their first county trial ahead of the upcoming season. The Under 18 Boys trialled at Stafford Town FC and there was some excellent quality on show in our first ‘Covid-Secure’ return to football event. Those who attended the Under 18s trial on Monday are advised to keep an eye on their emails and the SSFA website for more information regarding squad selection or further trial updates. It is with thanks to the players, parents, coaches and volunteers for adhering to the guidelines as well as those at Stafford Town FC for allowing the evening to run smoothly and safely. This new way of normal must be continued to ensure the next set of trials for other age groups in the coming weeks also run safely. For a reminder of SSFA's Covid-Secure documents for our return to football, please click the link here. Staffordshire Schools FA are working hard to ensure a return to county football is safe ahead of the upcoming season. Trial information has been emailed out to PE staff and further information regarding trials will also be emailed to schools. Without a nomination from their school, players cannot trial! Staffordshire Schools FA look forward to welcoming back players and also getting to know new faces ahead of the upcoming season. It is advised that all players, parents and coaches read through the SSFA Covid-19 page by clicking the link here. From there you will find the list of Covid regulations and updates ahead of SSFA's return to football. Please note that the latest update from the government banning social gatherings of more than 6 people (from 14/09/2020) does not apply to organised team sports. Therefore, SSFA are still committed to a safe and Covid-secure return to football as planned ahead of the 2020/21 season. Please find attached arrangements for John's funeral and the link to the donations page. Please click the link below or paste the link into your URL bar to access the website page. It is with great sadness that I have to inform you of the sad passing of John Appleby on Friday 7th August. As some of you know John had been ill for the last few months and bore his illness with great strength and dignity. Our condolences go out to Janine and his family. As yet no further details regarding funeral arrangements are known. Staffordshire SFA have called an end to season 19-20 due to the current pandemic. Teams who have reached the finals of the individual schools competitions will share the trophy and medals will be sent to schools when it is considered safe to do so. This is not a satisfactory conclusion to the season but the only one available and it is a model that has been used by the majority of the County associations nationwide. What the future holds in the short term nobody knows but the County Association is planning for a resumption of activities for next season. This of course could be delayed and may not even happen but if and when a resumption is allowed then Staffordshire SFA will be ready. Schools have been sent forms for entry into our individual schools competitions as well as nomination forms for the trials for the County sides next season. These have been duplicated below. It needs to made very clear that only teachers can nominate pupils for county trials, not clubs or parents. If there is a gifted and talented boy or girl who attends a school that is not actively involved in school football then the teacher in charge of PE needs to be approached to fill in the appropriate paperwork. Trials will only be held when it is safe to do so and unlike the past few seasons they will not be held prior to the autumn term. The County Association hopes that all involved are staying safe and following the guidelines of social distancing to ensure that all involved in our great game remain healthy. Below is the newsletter sent to schools today This coming bank holiday weekend would have seen a new chapter written into the long history of Staffordshire Schools Football. For the first time two teams had reached the finals of National competitions in the same season. The Under 18 Boys and the U16 Boys were due to play their finals at the Bet 365 stadium this weekend. The Under 18 Boys were due to meet Gloucestershire having negotiated their way through ties against Cheshire (5-0),South Yorkshire (4-2) and Lancashire (2-1) to set up their place in the final. The management team of Mark Culverhouse, Greg Valentine and Matt Skinner were looking forward to leading oiut an extremely talented group which included three internationals from this seasons ESFA U18 squad. Having already clinched the MCF title the boys were confident of putting on a good show to try and bring the U18 National title to Staffordshire for the first time. The Under 16 Boys were due to meet Bedfordshire having beaten Humberside (3-1), West Midlands (3-1) Cardiff and the Vale (4-1) and North Yorkshire (2-1) to earn their final tie. The team remained unbeaten this season and were looking to add a second title for managers Bailey Evans and Oz Rowley this time assisted by ex players Alex Minshull and Jack Bromfield.The majority of the squad have been together for three years and have been superb ambassadors for their schools. There may be some clarification regarding the future in the next few days but it is looking increasingly likely that these games will remain unplayed. There are far more important issues at this moment in time and when people are losing their lives football is but a trivial distraction. However in the years to come all of the players from all teams that would have played in the finals will look back at what they will regard as a missed opportunity and will always ask 'What might have been'. The MCF have finished the season as there is no chance of completion of the competitions due to the current situation with coronavirus. The championships have been awarded to the teams that topped the leagues when the suspension of the season happened in March. Staffordshire boys have performed outstandingly well with the U18, u16,and the U15 boys winning the titles and the U14 Boys finishing as runners up in their competition. All three winners were unbeaten and the U14 boys tasted defeat once to the Chanpions West Midlands who were worthy winners. The girls struggled to make an impact this season due to the RTC.s refusing to release girls for County matchess. Only a couple of sets of parents stood their ground and insisted that their daughters played County football for which the CSFA were very grateful.There will be a debate in the close season about the viability of continuing with girls representative football due to the facyt that counties who have RTC players available are so much stronger that they are totally dominant and can leave teams who do not have these players available at a distinct disadvantage. Parents committment to county football will be the key. The winners of the competitions can be found below; u14 boys - West Midlands u15 boys - Staffordshire u16 boys (east) - Lincolnshire u16 boys (west) - Staffordshire u18 boys - Staffordshire u16 girls - Shropshire u14 girls - West Midlands The U18 and U16 boys still await news of wether or not they will be playing in the national finala We at Staffordshire Schools'FA hope that all of or players, parents teachers are staying safe and following the government guidelines. It is very difficult and pretty boring but it is needs must and the more islolated from each other we are then the sooner we can hopefully emerge from these dark days. As a group we have to applaud and assist our NHS who are on the frontline with all of the inherent dangers, whilst we stay away from each other to help them in their quest to beat this virus. The Chairman of ESFA has released a statement which says that depending on the situation that the ESFA cup competitions will be completed wherever possible. That could mean them taking place in September so with our two teams that have reached the final there is hope that we may be able to play the games. Understandably we may have to ask for special consideration to be given to some players for a variety of different reasons. The County Schools FA will do the same with regard to our Individual schools competition again depending on the advice given by the government and the ESFA. You can only feel for those clubs who have had their seasons terminated, especially those who were certain of promotion but these are extraordinary times. Stay safe. Staffordshire Schools FA activity like all football has closed down because of the virus situation in the Uk. Now is a time for reflection and looking after oneself and family. No decisions have been made regarding what will happen regarding outstanding fixtures but there will be no activity before the end of April at the earliest. We hope that all of our players parents teachers and their loved ones remain safe and well . Following advice from the governing body and the government then all schools football under the jurisdiction of SSFA is now suspended until futher notice. This includes county representative teams and all individual schools cup competitions. Hopefully if we see some light at the end of this very dark tunnel then finals may be played in the summer term. The Staffordshire Schools FA hopes everyone stays safe and well. Information and news will be posted here when it becomes available. @staffsschoolsfa will allow all to follow what is going on and will supplement the information available on the website. Follow the account which is being run by Under 15 team Manager Bailey Evans.
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