Club Stories

Girls Centre of Excellence Success

Monday 16 June 2014

Trials under way for Girls Centre of Excellence

The Oxford United Girls’ Centre of Excellence goes from strength to strength and are currently holding trials for young female footballers looking to join the successful pathway established at Oxford United.

Over the course of the 2013-14 season, several players from the centre have earned international call-ups and others have successfully made the transition to senior football in the FA Women's Super League.

This year our Centre of Excellence has had access to top facilities, including the provision of an all-weather training pitch at the Oxford Academy and the use of gym facilities at the Oxford United training ground at Roman Way. The impressive progression of the centre in recent years has continued apace this season and United are now competitive with some of the best in England as one of just 30 FA-approved centres in the country.

This season three of our under-15 players – Alana Taylor, Ellie Noble and Riva Casley – have been invited to England training camps, highlighting Oxford's position among the top developers of female talent in England.

With the senior women's team taking their place in the FA WSL this year, our players have a pathway to the top level of the game and several have already made the step up to the professional level. Under-17s Ella Franklin-Fraiture and Laura Nichol have both made first team appearances in the WSL this season, while Chloe Bruce and Jodie Marshall have featured for the development squad, with others expected to make the step up in the near future.

The under-17s have enjoyed a highly successful season, narrowly missing out on the league title, and head coach Tim Roberts has been impressed with the development of the players this season.

“If you look at them from the beginning of the season to where they were at the end of the season, the development is more than astonishing,” he said. “Over the season they just got better and better and better and that some of our players have been involved with the first team and the development squad is superb.

“It's a real thrill for me. Probably 50 per cent, if not more, of players who have come through the Centre of Excellence are now in the development squad or the first team and that's what we're here for.”

“As we get to the older age groups we look to develop performance and as long as the performance is good we're getting what we want from them. Results will come from that but we're not results-orientated at all, it's all about the performance.

“Obviously what we're looking to do is get the best that we possibly can out of every player and I think that we've done that this year. We're really happy with the progress of all the girls within the centre.”

But with the focus already turning to next season, under-13s coach Joe Long says that United will be looking to improve even further and are hoping to attract and develop even more talented young footballers.

He said: “Results we don't really look at too seriously, we're just trying to ensure that the players enjoy themselves and we look at what they're giving to the team and their understanding of the game.

“We've got trials all through June, so it'll be three weeks of trials and then the fourth week will be call-backs and then we'll look at final numbers. To be fair, we never know how many kids are going to turn up but we're always out to grab the best talent and develop the ones we've had this year making their way up through the system.”

Open trials are currently under way.

For further information or to download an application form click HERE. To find out more about the Oxford United Girls' Centre of Excellence click HERE.

Dates and times:

(Please note the age bands go by year of birth (NOT School years)

Under 9’s- 2006/2007 Born

Session 3: Monday 16th June 2014

(Invite Only) Session 4: Monday 23rd June 2014

Under 11's - 2005/2004 Born

Session 3: Monday 16th June 2014

(Invite Only) Session 4: Monday 23rd June 2014

Under 13's - 2003/2002 Born

Session 3: Wednesday 18th June 2014

(Invite Only) Session 4: Wednesday 25th June 2014

Under 15's - 2001/2000 Born