Thanks to Mike for this update on the Festival of Football, taking place on the Isle of Wight this week. Ed
Eighteen teams of the Under 14 and Under 13 age groups are this week taking part in the English Schools’ F.A (ESFA) Festival of Football on the Isle of Wight.
The Festival is a long standing annual event in the ESFA’s programme and is this season celebrating 28 years on the Island, although it is the 32nd in all, as for the first four years, it was held at Oakham in Rutland.
Since its move to the Isle of Wight, the ESFA has received excellent support from and built excellent relationships with the Isle of Wight Council and many local clubs, which have been maintained to the current season as is shown by the list of grounds and clubs staging matches this week.
Open to all .. especially budding professionals
The Festival is open to city, town and district teams from the whole of England, so the sides include the pick of school players from those areas, which means that some of the players here this week may eventually be seen in the professional game.
Examples from past Festivals are numerous with England players, Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown and Philip Neville all having represented their areas when they were Under 14s while Premier and Football League players such as Kevin Davies, Matthew Taylor, Dean Whitehead have also attended in the past.
The spirit of the game
A number of former Isle of Wight players who have done well at higher levels are Lee Bradbury (Manchester City and Portsmouth), James Hayter (Bournemouth, Doncaster and Yeovil Town) and Lewis Buxton (Sheffield Wednesday).
The aim of the Festival is not, however, to produce future professional footballers but to give boys of 13 and 14 the opportunity of playing against opponents from areas they would not normally meet for geographical reasons in the true spirit of of the game.
Fair Play Award
English Schools’ F.A. Festivals have been unique over the years in that no Cups or League points are contested, but the football is no less competitive for that. The emphasis is on sporting behaviour (the only trophy is the Bert Worrall ‘Fair Play Award’), enjoyment with no pressure, the opportunity of developing friendships and the social interaction that comes from living together at one Centre.
Originally this was at Harcourt Sands at Puckpool and in recent years at the PGL Little Canada Centre at Wootton.
This year’s festival
Taking part in this season’s Festival are Under 14 teams from Bridgwater, Coventry, Derby, North Somerset, Plymouth, Tameside (Greater Manchester), Vale of White Horse (Oxfordshire), West Cornwall and Yeovil.
Bridgwater, North Somerset, West Cornwall and Yeovil plus Newham (London) are competing at Under 13 level while Havant and Gosport and Fareham are bringing sides over from the mainland on some days. The great disappointment is that, for the first time in 28 seasons, a side representing the Isle of Wight is not taking part.
Check the ESFA Website for details.
Image: © 353 Photography
