BRIDGWATER United Football Club - the result of the merger between Bridgwater Town and Yeovil United under new chief executive Adam Murry - is to set up an academy for boys in the 2021/22 season.
Complementing its existing girls’ academy, the new set-up will cater for players between Under-10 and Under-16 levels.
Trials for the academy are to be held on Saturday, May 15, followed by the girls’ academy trials on Saturday, June 26, with both to take place at Bridgwater & Taunton College (TA6 4PZ).
A club statement said: “The academy at Bridgwater United will be paramount to the club’s future success and an integral part of our philosophy.
“Youth development is represented at board level through the club’s academy director.
“Under the Bridgwater United FC banner, the excellent and FA-approved provision and processes of the existing girls’ academy will be replicated and implemented for the boys’ academy, meaning the club will service both pathways with a system not found elsewhere in Somerset.
“This offering will provide a full holistic development programme, from coaching and games to education and medical, to each of the players and staff.
“The club aims to be renowned for giving young talent a chance and therefore providing a tangible pathway from nine years old to Bridgwater United FC’s first teams.
“The club has always had a tradition of developing young players and ultimately giving them their chance, and is committed to building the academy to provide for our future players.”
The academy promises a systematic approach to player development, through in-depth coaching, assessments geared towards progression and the embedding of the ‘FA DNA’, which utilises technical, physical, psychological and social aspects of the game.
The academy will also make use of the revolutionary Veo analysis cameras - used by elite clubs like Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City - and integrate these into its performance analysis processes.
The artificial intelligence-powered camera records on its own, tracking the ball and creating a full match highlights package, while also allowing coaches and players the opportunity to mark their own highlights to review their performance and areas for development.
The academy endeavours to promote ‘attractive’, technical football, while encouraging its members to demonstrate positive mentality and behaviours, at the club and in the community.
More information about the academy can be found here.
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BRIDGWATER Town lost 2-1 against Clevedon Town in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Fairfax Park on Saturday.
After a goalless first half, Jack Jones put Clevedon ahead, only for a Harley Wilkinson own goal to bring the hosts level.
But it was the away side who went on to win it, through Ethan Feltham’s 70th-minute strike.
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