Westfield FC Youth U15

Goalscorers: Ross Melinn, Sam Lewiston 2,Chrissie Pestle, James Jarman.

This year’s tour to Holland to enter the Haarlem Cup (Coca-Cola Cup) one of the biggest youth tournament in Europe was a great success. ‘Field took a squad of seventeen boys did themselves proud by going the whole week unbeaten even though they had to had to play up a year in the U16 age group due to different age criteria abroad. The U16 competition had twenty teams from 8 different countries with initial group games over two days to decide the top ten teams to play the ‘A’ competition the others going into the shield competition. Once ‘Field got used to the different refereeing abroad they went on to play some excellent football and won all their group games conceding only one goal, thus progressing into the main competition comprising of two groups of five. These matches were again played over two days with the winner of each group meeting in the final, again ‘Field were again in good form coming through some very testing games winning two games and drawing two. The draw in the last game looked to be enough to reward a week of good performances and put them into a well-deserved final. It was not to be though, news filtered through that the unlikely event of a 5-0 win to another side over a side already eliminated by two close defeats the previous day. This meant ‘Field finished equal top of the group and failed to reach the final by one goal on goal difference. Disappointing as it was failing to reach the final it still did not take the edge off a fine week of football playing good sides from around the world going staying unbeaten.

IN an exciting new development for all concerned senior clubs Woking and Westfield, together with Woking Boys and Girls FC, have joined forces to provide a progressive youth structure for youngsters in the borough. The new merger will see the creation of a combined Woking and Westfield FC at under-18 and under-16 level which will in turn give a structured tie-in to Woking Boys and Girls FC, creating an exciting opportunity for the most talented and ambitious youngsters within the borough. Under plans agreed this week, both The Cards’ under-18 squad and their Westfield counterparts will combine to participate in the Southern Midweek Floodlit League on Wednesday evenings. Suitable players from other youth teams will join them to create an elite side playing under the Woking and Westfield banner. Vic Locke, Westfield’s existing youth team manager, will manage the side while Woking’s youth development officer Ian Burns and his team will offer support. The home fixtures will be at Westfield for league games and at Kingfield for FA Cup games — Woking used Cobham’s facilities last season — and in addition the current Westfield U15 side plus any boys of a high standard who meet the entry criteria will become Woking & Westfield 16's a feeder side to the u18 side. This side will also be managed by Locke and will play on Sundays, again at Woking Park. Woking Boys will continue to provide football for youngsters from under-7 to under-17 and they will provide the nucleus of the new under-16 teams in seasons to come. “The proposals provide the opportunity for youngsters to follow a progressive junior, youth, then senior path and the most talented will automatically progress into elitist sides associated with the borough’s two senior clubs,” said Westfield chairman Steve Perkins. “Youths may already be playing for Westfield in the Seagrave Haulage League, with the hope that more promising youngsters can progress through to Woking’s Conference squad,” he went on. “In addition the proposals accommodate a similar structure that has been in force for the past few seasons whereby girls at under-15 level will be eligible to feed through into the Woking Ladies set up. “Numerous discussions have taken place over the years with no real conclusion. “Now, this link-up has unlimited advantages. Westfield will be able to have a continual supply of talented youths feeding into their senior sides while Woking will be able to closely monitor the progress of youths from an early age and guide the more talented players into Conference football.” Burns commented: “Like all clubs Woking have to start bringing through some more home grown talent and while it may take a couple of years we are confident that, allied to our full time academy programme running out of Woking College, the creation of this youth development structure is the right decision for Woking Football Club.” Football development officer for Woking Boys and Girls FC, Dennis North added: “We are an FA approved Charter Standard club and although we have always had close ties with Woking FC, Westfield and Woking Ladies, we are excited about becoming involved in a more formal structure which will provide youngsters with the talent and ambition. “However we will not ignore our ‘football for all’ ethos and will continue to offer other teams at all age groups.”