Wigmore Youth link with Hollands and Blair

Hollands and Blair are a Senior Kent County league team sitting top of the league aiming at Kent league status within the next two years with a successful league winning reserve side as well. They have Kent Youth sides at under 13s, 14s and 16s, all doing well in the current season.

Next season they are hoping to fill an under 16s team as well, so that there is a youth team at each age group that the Kent Youth League provides for.

The Hollands and Blair soccer school, run by Craig Harvey, has developed a close link with Wigmore Youth to enable young children from 4-6 to participate in football with a well established successful local youth football club. Many of these boys can progress to Wigmore Youth from the Soccer school and under the guidance of Steve Bond, our Youth Development Officer, assist in the development of new Under 7 Wigmore Youth teams. In the 2010/11 season, the youngsters from Craig’s soccer school, along with Steve’s crèche, enabled Wigmore Youth to enter two Under 7 teams for the first time.

Both clubs are Charter Standard clubs and both are affiliated to the Kent County Football Association.

Hollands and Blair can offer the opportunity for boys at school year 7 and above to play Valley Express Kent Youth league if they desire. Similarly, the link with Wigmore Youth can offer a route back into local football if Kent League turns out not to be to their liking.

Wigmore Youth’s under 12s Medway Messenger Youth League Division 1 side in the 2010/11 season has players and parents who are interested in Kent League in the 2011/12 season, and the relationship with Hollands and Blair created the opportunity for Jas Clare to take on the role of Hollands and Blair Under 13 manager for the 2011/12 season.

A natural progression then for boys would be to have the opportunity to play senior football at Hollands and Blair.

Hollands and Blair’s website can be found at www.hollandsandblair.co.uk