Professional Football Academy
Every young football player dreams of becoming a professional player, and although talented but most of these become young men who slip through the net by not being spotted - that's where the Professional Football Academy (PFA) comes in.
PFA is a professional football coaching and development centre for footballers of all ages, and players selected to join our elite coaching programme will be helped to develop the skills required to help if they are selected to move to a professional club on a trial basis. Our coaches and scouts will assist players being recognised by clubs and gaining the advantage. This could be the first step on the ladder to becoming a professional player.
However most players will not become a professional, that is why we have created a scheme that will allow our registered players the chance of reaching the top, but also provides a safety net and security if they do not reach this level. If a player does not sign a professional scholarship by the age of 16 then they may take our scholarship scheme. This would enable players to continue with their academic studies by taking a sports science degree while training every day in a professional environment. This route would take players into the semi professional leagues where they can gain experience where they can catch the eye of the league clubs who often scout in these areas.
Players can be offered a trial period to train with one of our squads and should the coaching staff feel they have the potential to train with our Academy side then they may be offered a contract with PFA. Typically our contract starts in September each year and runs through to the end of May. This coaching programme ensures every player in the squad will develop through the use of "A" licence style professional coaching at one of our selected venues. During the coaching programme the players will also be helped by our unique video analysis psychology, fitness as well as diet and nutrition sessions. The squads will play at least one game per month (sometimes more) against various opposition and at the end of the programme the squad will compete against professional clubs. These clubs will have been informed of the talented players in the squad and it will put each player in the spotlight. Hopefully some will be signed into a pro Academy at this time, which could be thier first step on the ladder to success.
Promising young PFA Goalkeeper Billy Manning has been offered a trial at Southend Utd. He will train on Saturday mornings until the end of the season and we all wish him well. He has also been asked to play for White Ensign on Saturdays. This is a huge step for an under 15 player to play for a mens side, but he has coped well so far.
Former PFA coach Ricky Holmes was selected to play for England C team against Wales. This was his first appearance for the side. We will post some photo's of him in the near future.
Ricky is seen here scoring for Chelmsford City
PFA have joined forces with Pro Soccer Trials to offer players the chance to play infront of professional club scouts so they can showcsae thier talent on state of the art facilities. Go to www.prosoccertrials.com for more information
Jake Gordon has been training with PFA since he was 5 years old and although Dave Thompson arranged trials at West Ham and Charlton for the promising youngster he eventually signed for West Ham even though a host of other club were interested in him including Manchest Utd. A house move up north alerted Newcastle and they won the signature of Jake.
Coaching Programme
PFA offer 2 coaching options with our elite coaching programme.
Option 1
Players are coached one session a week by FA qualified coaches under the guidnance of Dave Thompson. Players will receive a range of coaching topics to help them develop a good understanding of the game. These topics range depending on the age group. Players also go through a fitness programme that is also age specific. Matches are arranged periodically so that the coaching staff can assess the players and help with their development. These games can be against Professional or local clubs.
Cost £28.00 per month
Option 2
Players receive all of the above benefits but at the end of the football season the team will travel abroad to compete in a high quality tournament. Details of previous tournaments can be found on this website.
Cost £28.00 per month
Plus tour cost (normally about £320)
To secure a place payment are as follows: October £100 - February £150 - May remaining balance
PFA Coach Lee Surtees can be seen here lifting the Premier League Trophy at a recent trip to Manchester.
Sky Sports | News
Sky Sports Saturday live!
Follow all the action from Saturday's packed programme with the skysports.com Score Centre.
Heart op rules out Big Sam
Blackburn Rovers have confirmed that manager Sam Allardyce is to undergo heart surgery.
French rebuff replay calls
The French Football Federation have refused to back the Football Association of Ireland's call to replay their World Cup play-off.
Kallis ruled out of series
South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis has been ruled out of the ODI series against England due to a fractured rib.
'Make or break' for Rafa
Rafa Benitez admits Liverpool's game with Manchester City is 'make or break' for their season.
FAI in fresh replay plea
The FAI have launched a fresh plea with their French counterparts to agree to a replay of their controversial play-off match.
Keane joins call for replay
Republic of Ireland skipper Robbie Keane has joined French captain Thierry Henry in calling for a replay of their World Cup qualifier.
Henry - Replay would be fair
Thierry Henry believes the fairest solution would be to replay France's play-off against Ireland, but insists he is not a cheat.
Dubai World Champs - latest
Click here for updates from the third round from Jumeirah or watch live on Sky Sports 2 & HD2.
Federer wary of Nadal threat
World number one Roger Federer believes it would be foolish to write off Rafael Nadal at the upcoming ATP World Finals.
