On Monday 28th October, we took 82 players from our Elite Centre U7-U16 teams to an away fixture against Luton Town FC.
With the buzz of a big away game, all of the participants really enjoyed and gained a lot from the experience against strong competition.
The Crawley Town coaches involved said they were really proud of all the hard work the players put into preparation in the lead up to the game as well as the matches.
Our coaches noticed big improvements across the age groups, keeping in with the development and great strides Crawley Town’s Development and Elite squads have made over the last few years.
All fixtures were played as 20 or 30 minute games.
The U7 & U8s played extremely well against Luton Town, winning 5 matches and only 2 losses across the morning session.
U7 player Finnley Woolsey said this about the day, “It was a good atmosphere between both teams and the pitch was great. I had lots of fun and learnt lots too.”
U9 & U10s faced some stiff competition as they were competing against some particularly strong Luton Town players, and they did well to win 2 games and draw the third match.
Callum Agent, the U10s lead coach had this to say, “I am extremely proud of the Crawley Town players. They replicated our philosophy and demonstrated their understanding of the way we want to play. We had some excellent results and scored some fantastic goals.
They also demonstrated their sportsmanship and respect, important qualities for any Crawley Town player. It was a fantastic day and a great experience for the players. Thank you to the Luton Town coaches for hosting the day”.
Philip Terry, an U9s parent, added, “The matches were very competitive and the coaches marshalled everyone brilliantly- even in view of the high-quality competition. The players showed good endeavour and everyone involved should take credit for their spirit and performance. All round- a very enjoyable morning!”
Our U11 & U12s didn’t manage to win their matches, but the lead coach was very proud of their efforts throughout the day. The U13s won all their fixtures, the U14s drew one and lost 2 of their games, and our U16s drew one and lost 3 games.
All of this bodes well for progression into the Crawley Town U19 team, and the BTEC National Diploma of Sport we deliver at the People’s Pension Stadium https://www.ctcommunityfoundation.com/further-education
The U19s compete in the National Youth Football League against Premier League and EFL opposition, and have so far won 4 and lost 2 of the Wednesday fixtures and won 1 and lost 3 of the Friday fixtures.
To see Crawley Town competing so well from U7 to U19 level against Premier League and EFL opposition is a testament to the foundation laid down with the player pathway model, which enables young footballers to train, play and compete without impeding involvement with thier other local youth teams.
The Luton Town fixture, is one of a long list of games our players have played, including opposition Broadbridge Heath, Henfield Youth FC, Billingshurst & the Korea Youth Football Association.
There are still plenty of upcoming fixtures this season, against opposition such as Norwich City and Ipswich Town.
How you can get involved
We deliver a Talent ID Centre for grassroots players from U7-U12s on a Friday from 17:00-18:00 at The People’s Pension Stadium, Crawley, RH11 9RX.
You can book online through our website:
Players from U13-U16 who are interested in joining should email iancobbett@crawleytownfc.com for information on upcoming trials.
For more up to date information, follow our social media to keep up on top of all our programmes and services:
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