Expanding academy adds two more to roster

EVO-STIK Northern Premier League Kidsgrove Athletic and Halesowen Town have become the fifth and sixth new clubs respectively to announce that they are joining the NPL Football Academy next season.

Their entry into the NPLFA was confirmed on Friday less than a month after First Division North Mossley AFC signed up to follow in the footsteps of Belper Town, Lancaster City and Witton Albion since the start of the current campaign.

The EVO-STIK NPL became the first league in English football to launch a youth league and academy combining football with further education in September when the NPLFA opened its doors to its first intake of students at five pilot clubs - Leek Town, Mickleover Sports, Newcastle Town, Radcliffe Borough and Romulus.

The NPLFA's latest recruits are delighted to have joined the growing academy which celebrated its first graduate to the professional game this week when Romulus teenager Yohan Rutty-Smith secured a two year contract at League One Notts County less than five months after joining the ground-breaking league-wide initiative.

Kidsgrove Athletic chairman Mick Fitzjohn said: "A lot of good thing are happening at the Football Club and this is a further step in the right direction in the future of Kidsgrove Athletic.

"It's a great concept backed by the EVO-STIK League and we are delighted to be involved. We are now working towards our first 'information evening' on Wednesday March 11 and hope to see many potential students down at The Novus Stadium."

Halesowen Town are holding their first 'information evening' the following night on Thursday 12 March at The Grove from 7pm.

Yeltz director Steve Lynch said: "We have been keeping an eye on the NPL Football Academy in it's first year and we have been impressed by what we have seen. We are hoping to recruit a good quality group of students and we are looking forward to a successful partnership."

Potential students and their families who attend the events and others around the NPLFA in February and March will hear how they will compete in the EVO-STIK NPL Youth League, the academy's own FA sanctioned competition, while being trained on a daily basis by UEFA ‘B’ qualified coaches.

Launched back with the backing of the Football Association to provide career pathways into the football industry, students aged 16-18 who win a place with the NPLFA study on two year courses for Level 3 Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualifications.

Follow the new academy's progress at nplfa.co.uk, twitter.com/NPLFA and at facebook.com/NPLFootballAcademy. To register your please go to: www.nplfa.co.uk

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