It has been an incredible year for the Cirencester College Football Academy, which has resulted in both the Men’s and Women’s teams being crowned as league champions.
The Men’s team comfortably won the South West Regional League North after a standout season in which they went undefeated, with 12 wins and one draw. The squad also had an impressive run in the ECFA Knockout Cup this season, and earned themselves a place in the semi-finals. Despite narrowly missing out on a spot in the final after a 2-1 semi-final loss, they finished their season on a high with the league title secured and a lot of strong performances to be proud of.
Ross Langworthy, Manager of the Cirencester College Football Academy, said “The Men’s team have had an outstanding season in both their league and cup campaigns. The group have developed a fantastic togetherness and have been a pleasure to coach. They’ve handled every challenge thrown their way, and have all developed as players. They’ve really done the College proud, not just in their performances on the pitch, but in the way they represent the College as a group of young people.”
There is also cause for celebration for the Women’s team, who are now back-to-back league champions. After winning the AOC Midlands league in 2023, the team played in the South West Regional League A this season, and secured their second consecutive league title with eight wins, one draw and just one loss.
“I’m overjoyed that the players are once again reaping the benefits of their dedication and hard work this season”, said Kerry Walklett, Head Coach of the Women’s team, “It has been a pleasure working with every one of them, and it has been amazing to watch them grow over the course of the year as players and teammates. After winning the Midlands league last year, we knew we had a difficult task ahead of us when we crossed into the South West league this season. The girls have truly come through and shown themselves to be a credit to the College and to each other.”
“It’s the beautiful game and it’s come home to Cirencester College.” said Principal, Matt Reynolds, “Both of our teams have just been phenomenal. I’m so proud of them. It not just the outstanding effort and results in their campaigns, but the hours of training that goes into all of their work. The students have been amazing and the staff have been superb. The achievement of this combination is inspiring. Well done to all. You’ve done us proud.”
Kian, captain of the Men’s team, said “It has been an honour to be captain of the College football team this season. To be crowned champions of the league and get as far as we did in the cup was an achievement we are all very proud of. The Football Academy has really enhanced my College experience over the last two years. The togetherness of the team is something that is hard to come by, and we’ve all had such an amazing and memorable experience. Having that break doing something you love away from your studies is a great release and it has been nice to meet people from other courses within the College. My best memories are travelling to the away matches on the bus, as it always brought the team together. I would definitely recommend the Football Academy to everyone who loves playing football and wants to develop. I cannot fault my time in the Cirencester College Football Academy and wish our first years another successful season next year.”
Congratulations to all members of the Football Academy, who have been instrumental in representing Cirencester College. You should all be very proud of yourselves.
For more information on this story, please contact chloe.suter@cirencester.ac.uk
