After what has proved to be a fantastic season full of up and downs, Accrington Stanley Futsal Scholars have qualified for their first National Finals!
The Football League Trust Education & Futsal Programme offers 16 to 18 year olds (male and female) the chance to find passes on and off the pitch at Football League clubs across the country, as they learn, train, play and work through Futsal.
Accrington Stanley are now into their second year of running the course, and success in the classroom has been matched with success on the field, as our B team cohort, made up of first year scholars, have qualified for the League 2 National Finals this Sunday 15th June 2014, through their excellent third place finish in the FLT North West Division 2.
Stanley Futsal will be back in similar surroundings on Sunday, as they travel down to the National Futsal Arena in Birmingham, after first visiting there back in January for the inaugural Soccer AM Cup competition. The Reds have been drawn into Group 4 of the competition and will lock horns with Championship clubs Cardiff City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, League 1’s Scunthorpe United and fellow League 2 club Plymouth Argyle, with the top two going through to the quarter finals stage.
Sport Development Officer and Futsal Coach Chris Mullen explains: “It is such a fantastic achievement for the lads, most of whom less than 12 months ago, had never played Futsal. To have qualified for a National Finals for a club the size of ours compared to the ones who are going to be there on Sunday, is a truly magnificent effort and recognition of the boys’ determination to get there from the start of the season. The atmosphere around the place is superb at the moment and all the lads I know won’t let us down, as long as they remember to enjoy it!”
There will also be a special presentation for Accrington Stanley’s own Kiko Binns at the event, due to him finishing as FLT’s North West Division 2 top goal-scorer with 15 goals.
Good luck to all our scholars playing and hope you thoroughly enjoy the experience!
For more information on our futsal scholarships please visit our website www.stanleytrust.co.uk or email us at info@stanleytrust.co.uk
