Players progress through Ten Em Bee football scholarship scheme

Twenty-two sixteen to seventeen-year-olds have been training hard three times a week as the Bromley College/Ten Em Bee Football Scholarship scheme gets underway for its third season, writes Stephen McCartney.

A varied programme of pre-season friendlies are currently taking place.  They drew 4-4 at Lingfield before losing 1-0 at Whitstable Town.  They play away to Lewisham Borough before facing the under eighteen sides from Hastings United, Lordswood, and Wembley before Northampton Town visit in an eagerly awaited fixture.

Of last year's students, three are currently with St Albans City, three at Eastbourne United, and one each snapped up by Molesey and Erith.  Two other players, however, have been training with Barnet.

This years in-take of school leavers will join the six remaining second-year students and compete in the Southern Floodlight League and the FA Youth Cup.

The scheme is designed in a similar way to American Scholarship schemes with education, both academic and sporting, individual development and achievements being the prime consideration of the organisers.

During the past season, Micky Johnson, Jake Scott, Max Avenell, Chris Lungo, Kieran Connolly, Jerome Hoyte, Peter Afolyan, Leon Richards, Callum McClean, Abayss Conteh, Billy Davis, Anthony Chalmers and Callum Commerford obtained their level one coaching awards.  Luke Ossei obtained a Sports Leadership Award.

The majority of students, however, are now going for their Level Two awards, whilst gaining experience in assisting the coaching of several local boys teams.

Ten Em Bee are already receiving enquiries from various parts of London regarding the programme for 2005-06 recruitment will start in November.

Commercial and other sponsorship and other assistance of enquiry for this unique venture should be made at tenembee@hotmail.com or 020 8313 9510 (24 hours)