First test booked for next generation

By David Watters

The EVO-STIK League's next generation of stars are waiting to find out if they've been picked in the Northern Premier League Football Academy's first representative side of of the season.

Coaches at the ground-breaking NPLFA's are set to name their first inter-league squad after announcing their first fixture of the 2017-18 campaign on Wednesday against Wigan Athletic on Tuesday 24 April.

A second match against EFL opposition is expected to be announced in the coming days and the test at the Championship club's state-of-the-art Christopher Park training facility will also see many of the NPLFA's students and coaches reunited with the Latics U18’s Nick Chadwick, Warrington Town's former academy coach who was in charge of the NPLFA’s inaugural inter-league fixture against Oldham Athletic back in 2016.

The NPLFA was founded with the backing of the Football Association at five pilot clubs in September 2014 to provide career pathways into the football industry with youngsters studying on two year BTEC courses.

Still the only league-wide academy in English football combining sport with education and expanded to 12 members clubs, the NPLFA now offers its fourth intake of students the chance to continue their education to degree level after teaming up with Loughborough College this summer to launch a new higher education partnership.

To see the NPLFA's latest promotional videos and success stories, follow on Twitter at @NPLFA or visit: www.nplfa.co.uk

Images courtesy of nplfa.com

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Where next?

Arch rivals announce merger plans Ossett Albion and Ossett Town are in the advance stages of talks to merge and create a new EVO-STIK League super club.
McIntosh reign comes to an end Martin McIntosh's reign as manager of EVO-STIK League Buxton is over after six years at the helm.

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