Bexhill College reflects on splendid season

The Bexhill College men’s football academy has enjoyed a successful season, with all three of its teams finishing in the top four of their respective leagues.
The Bexhill College men's football academy players and coachesThe Bexhill College men's football academy players and coaches
The Bexhill College men's football academy players and coaches

The academy, which is run in conjunction with Chelsea FC Foundation, has thrived this year with more than 40 students enrolled and representing the college in regional and national leagues, as well as cup competitions.

The academy’s first team finished second in the U19 Sussex League, missing out on top spot by a solitary point.

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First team manager Rob Wratten said: “The players have been superb this year. It’s been a real pleasure working with and developing such a dedicated bunch of players.

“The league performances have been great, and if you add in the successes of winning the Chelsea Foundation Cup, and the players who have been selected to represent Sussex and The Chelsea Foundation, it has been one of our most successful years.”

The college’s second team also finished second in its league, missing out on first place by three points. Winning 10 out of 11 games and only conceding nine goals all season has made manager and football academy director Sean Noble immensely proud.

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He said: “Each week the team has become better and better. They have been dedicated in training and have really shown a commitment to succeed.

“Competing and winning against some colleges who only have one team, but have a mix of first and second team players playing, really shows the strength and depth we have in our academy.”

Bexhill College’s third team also had a successful year, finishing fourth in the same league as the second team and only missing out on third place on goal difference.

The team is coached by Lewis Parsons, who, like Noble, is a UEFA B licensed coach.

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He said: “The real success is the development of the players, with some of them representing both the first and second teams at various points of the season.

“This again underlines the strength and competitive nature of the academy in regards to recruiting the best players from the local area. With many of the players remaining at the college for next year, we are expecting the academy to only get stronger once again.”

The football academy will be hosting trials for both the men’s and women’s academies in the coming weeks, and players are encouraged to apply online at www.bexhillcollege.ac.uk for an opportunity to attend.