After a busy pre-season of recruiting new players, new coaches, games against some of the top academies in the country, and working toward a new initiative to enhance the quality of our Centre of Excellence, I was eagerly awaiting our games programme commencing against Northampton Town.

With so many new faces the only measure of our current standard and how far we have progressed is through competitive action. Our youngest age groups again show very positive signs for the future with a large number of high quality players being signed in our U8/U9 group who have adapted to playing at this level very quickly and they have proved our judgment of them was correct.

Tom Pell, Jimmy Unwin and the coaches of our youngest age groups have worked tremendously hard over the last year to find the best 6, 7 and 8 year olds in the region to again make the base of our pyramid very strong for the future.

This is an ongoing process which has begun for next season already. It is also testament to the strength of our scheme that we have had players progressing from our Development Centres to the Development Squads and some up into our Centre of Excellence.

There were some very promising starts against Northampton Town from players in our U8-U12 age groups, with some players being played up an age group to take them out of their comfort zone by increasing the speed at which their decision-making and the tempo of their work has to be played at to ensure they are still able to perform with the required quality.

In our U13-U16 age groups we had some good performances from individuals who are now getting toward the end of the 9-16 scheme and aiming for a highly sought-after place as a 2-year scholar. The mark of their early season form will be a consistency of performance over a period of games, which is where many young players struggle, but those with the true character and ability combined with listening to the help they are getting will come through.

Whilst the process begins again of continuing the education of our players into our philosophy of play and how to conduct themselves on and off the pitch, the coaching staff are very excited about the coming months (and the seasons ahead) working with players who have a great deal of potential.

Whilst our lack of funding, lack of protection for players and the need for another mammoth walk this season to keep the scheme going continue, it makes us all the more motivated as a group to produce players capable of achieving the level of a scholarship firstly and then toward a professional contract.

Matt Walker
Centre of Excellence Manager

Make Your Click Count For The U's - talk about it on the Message Board!

You are respectfully reminded that any article, as with all content on this website, unless otherwise stated, is subject to copyright © and the Official Cambridge United Website must be acknowledged as the original source including all quotes.

AT090923 web@cambridge-united.co.uk