Colls join NPLFA

Chairman, Paul Gregory said: “We are thrilled to be joining the Northern Premier League Football Academy as we continue to grow our wonderful club.

“With a thriving junior section and a commitment to developing local talent, we thought the decision to take the next step and establish an academy was a no brainer.

"Using partnerships within the local community, we are excited to be undertaking the task of educating the next batch of Atherton Collieries and hopefully progressing a number of students into the first team match day squads.

"Despite a number of football and education programmes available, we thought joining with the NPL Football Academy was the right choice.

"They strike a perfect balance between football and education, allowing us to support the students as they move up the ranks of the football club and provide them with a well-structured education for the future.”

There will be a maximum of 22 places available for the Colls academy, which begins in September 2020.

Recruitment begins now for a September 2020 start and interested applicants can apply at: www.NPLFA.co.uk/register