Notts County vs Aldershot Town

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ensure we can coach the Under 19s in a way
that will help them make the step up to train or
play in the first team.
I’ve watched around 10 sessions so far and
it’s been great to listen to Luke and Ryan’s
instructions, but also to be a familiar face to
any of the Under 19s who have been given the
opportunity to train that day.
Luke and Ryan are getting to know our
young players more now and they’re very, very
supportive – they coach them as they would
one of their own players. The experienced
players have been unbelievable, too, in terms
of the guidance they offer on and off the pitch.
The first-team environment we have here is
perfect for young players stepping up - better
than I’ve seen in a lot of places.
As you may have heard me say upon my
return to the club, we will be running with three
teams at Under 19s level this season. Our ‘B’
team is top of the Under 19s set-up, but we
also have a C and a D team which will allow
movement up and down between squads.
In a normal situation we would have 18-20
scholars, but this set-up means we’re giving
40 more kids the experience of being at a
professional football club.
An area I have earmarked for improvement
is our recruitment, so I’m pleased to say we’re
going to be putting a Head of Recruitment in
place in the near future. This means we’ll be
a lot more active in terms of scouting and I’d
welcome contact from anyone who may wish to
get involved: dan.leivers@nottscountyfc.co.uk.
While our category status makes it difficult
to prevent higher-ranking clubs from taking
our players, I believe we need to get away
from that mindset and focus on making our
academy somewhere no-one wants to leave.
We feel we’re operating on a par with other
professional academies from the leagues above
and I’m confident we’re getting into a position
where we can convince our brightest young
players that this is the best place for them.
When developing our coaching programme
we have to find a balance between something
which will help us transition back into category
three in the hopefully-near future, while also
using our own experiences as coaches to offer
something different and enjoyable.
For example, with the younger players in
the Foundation phase, we run a session which
is purely one-v-one work. It’s all about ballmastery,
we play music during the session and
they can wear whatever they want. We give
them freedom on that night and they love it. It’s
interesting for us as coaches, too, because we
see more of the players’ personalities.
Heading into the season, we of course want
our players to enjoy their work - but there
isn’t much fun in losing. There’s fun in trying
to win and trying to perform, so that’s what
we want to see. What we won’t do is demand
that we win at all costs – we’ll try and win
by performing in the Notts County way and
upholding our values.
On a final note, I’d like to say a big thank
you to our Official Supporters Association for
their continued fundraising efforts, and to
everyone who supports our academy in any
way they can.
Here’s to a great season!
NATIONAL LEAGUE U19 ALLIANCE – NORTH
DATE H/A OPPOSITION F-A
SEPTEMBER 2022
WED 21 H GATESHEAD
WED 28 A ALTRINCHAM
OCTOBER 2022
WED 05 H GUISELEY
WED 12 H YORK CITY
WED 26 H AFC FYLDE
NOVEMBER 2022
WED 02 H BOSTON UNITED
WED 09 A BLYTH SPARTANS
WED 16 A SOLIHULL MOORS
WED 23 H CHESTERFIELD
DECEMBER 2022
WED 07 A FC HALIFAX TOWN
WED 14 A DARLINGTON
JANUARY 2023
WED 11 H DARLINGTON
WED 18 A CHESTERFIELD
FEBRUARY 2023
WED 01 H CHESTER
WED 08 H SOLIHULL MOORS
WED 15 A GATESHEAD
WED 22 A BOSTON UNITED
MARCH 2023
WED 08 H ALTRINCHAM
WED 15 A YORK CITY
WED 22 A AFC FYLDE
WED 29 H FC HALIFAX TOWN
APRIL 2023
WED 19 H BLYTH SPARTANS
WED 26 A GUISELEY
TBC A CHESTER P-P
All fixtures subject to change. Home matches to be played at
Clifton Football Centre, Farnborough Road, NG11 8LU.
Standard kick-off time 2pm.
Please follow NCFC_Academy on Twitter for updates.
NOTTS COUNTY v ALDERSHOT TOWN
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