By Isle of Wight Observer
Local U-15s football team, Gurnard Lions, have been offered the opportunity for a weekend’s football experience in Eindhoven, in Holland, at the end of March.
Lions’ coach, Jimmy Knight, said: “We are so excited to give the team this opportunity, where they can train with different coaches and play matches against teams from the Netherlands, continuing to learn and improve themselves as footballers.
“The Lions are a great bunch of lads who all love to play football, they love every part of the game. We even have four qualified junior referees in the team. Any challenge that I set them they all take on as a team and they give me 100 per cent. As a coach I can’t ask for more.”
The Gurnard Lions U-15s make up the majority of the U-15s Isle of Wight Junior Premier League team. One of the youngsters plays for Millbrook and another for Proco Football Club in
Southampton, and all three teams participate in high level Saturday leagues on the mainland.
The Lions are also the only U-15 Island team that takes on the challenge of competing against older teams, as they compete in the U-16s Sunday League.
The team and parents have been busy fund-raising for contributions towards travel and accommodation. They have organised a horse racing evening at Cowes Community Club, including a raffle, and are selling football scratch cards.
If anyone would like to help them achieve their dream of making this trip, you can donate via iw.observer/gurnard-lions.
The trip to Holland will take place between the 28th and 31st March, and we will have a follow up story on their return, with some exciting news on possible future tours for other teams.
