Barnet Football Club have now started recruiting for our new intake of players for the Under 18 College Development Programme!

The U18 College Development Programme offers boys who have just finished their GCSEs a chance to study a 2 year BTEC in Sport Studies whilst enabling them to train full time for Barnet Football Club’s U18 Development Squad based at The Hive, the £11m training complex and home to Barnet FC.

Unlike similar programmes, all teaching and on-field sessions will be held at The Hive with its state-of-the-art Classrooms, Gym, Grass and 3G artificial turf pitches. The programme offers a unique experience where players train amongst the Professionals and Scholarship players at the Barnet Football Club.

The next trial dates will be:

– Monday 25th May 2015 (10:00 – 12:00)

– Wednesday 27th May (10:00 – 12:00)

Since 2011 the programme has achieved great success with four players from the Development Programme (Jamal Lowe, Jamal Hackett, George McCluskey & Ifeanyi Allen) earning scholarships with the Barnet FC Youth Team, with Lowe and Allen both being offered two-year professional contracts in 2012. In 2014 another Development Programme graduate, Ryan Sellers, was offered a two-year professional contract by Championship side Bolton Wanderers.

This year the club is looking to build on that success and plans are in place to expand to 80 players across four teams. Two U18 Development teams will play their matches in the English Colleges League every Wednesday afternoon. Opponents will include Millwall, Charlton, Leyton Orient as well as larger non-league teams such as Woking and Borehamwood. There will also be additional fixtures organised against Premier League and Football League Development Centres.

The players are coached and mentored by UEFA A and B License coaches from the Barnet FC Academy with training taking place from Monday through to Thursday.

If you wish to attend one of the above trial dates please register online at www.venuetoolbox.com/barnetfc and click on “Trials”.

If you are still undecided about your future and would like the chance to study and train for a future career in football and sports then contact George Kendall directly at gkendall@barnetfcacademy.com.

The programme will only accept players we deem appropriate for the course. In order to do so players must fulfil the requirements listed below to be successful:

• Obtain the appropriate GCSE grades for a Level 2 or 3 BTEC in Sport Studies when leaving school

• Be current Year 11 students born between 01/09/1998 and 31/08/1999*

*We may also accept some Year 12 students born between 1st September 1997 and 31st August 1998 in exceptional circumstances.

All applicants must fit all requirements and fulfil the above criteria to be successful and obtain a place on the course.

Please note that if successful when applying for the Development Programme a cost of £200 is payable per year covering full training kit, matchday travel, medical treatment and season tickets to see the Barnet FC first team play at home at The Hive.