Working in partnership with Wilmslow Albion FC

Wilmslow Football Academy has produced almost all of the players in the junior ranks of all the football teams in Wilmslow since 2001, as well as several outstanding prospects at such clubs as Manchester United, City, Liverpool, Everton, Blackburn Rovers, Crewe, Macclesfield, Stockport County, Arsenal and even Bayer Laverkusen in Germany! Two of our U16's prodigies have also recently represented their country at International level with England and the Republic of Ireland.

In the summer of 2007, Wilmslow's oldest football club Wilmslow Albion - which is undergoing a sizable transition under new leadership - approached WFA with a view to forming a partnership. The partnership is designed so that Albion can tap into the talent being produced at the Academy in order to produce teams at junior level from the age of under 7's upwards. In return, WFA coordinates all the junior teams and the coaching at the club, providing an outlet for the young players to establish themselves in a junior football team.

Prior to the partnership, Wilmslow Albion had only been involved in senior football with a history dating back some 89 years to 1919. They have dabbled in junior football at various stages of their long and illustrious history but the emphasis had always been on the senior teams.

Under the new management the vision is clear. Albion should be attracting local players from grass roots football right the way through to the senior teams. Starting with the under 7's who will eventually progress over the coming years to play for the 1st team. In turn, the 1st team will benefit from having the very best local players progressing through it's ranks to choose from. Already two of the under 16's players - both Wilmslow lads - have enjoyed appearances in the 1st team. One of those boys, Callum Garner became the youngest player ever to have pulled on an Albion 1st team jersey and he is also a coach for WFA!

The seven year plan is for WFA to carry on producing at least two under 7's, 8's and 9's teams per year which will eventually feed the senior teams at Albion. Wilmslow Albion in partnership with WFA now reaches out to children via the Saturday morning soccer school at Ashdene and the hundreds of children coached at the after school soccer clubs in the area as well as the structured school holiday soccer camps that are held every half team around Wilmslow.

The partnership is still in its infancy but already the first batch of teams are producing superb results. Wilmslow Albion junior teams are a formidable force in the Timperley and District Junior Leagues and the first season is looking very promising already with several of the club's teams topping their leagues and playing like champions!

After nearly 90 years, football in Wilmslow has finally come home!