Local Victorian club Northcote City FC recently embarked on a once in a lifetime experience with the Club’s under-12 team, travelling to the City Football Academy in Manchester for a tour in April.
Northcote’s under-12 team were the inaugural winners of Melbourne City’s ‘City Cup’ tournament in September last year, with a trophy and a trip to Manchester’s world-leading facility the major prizes.
The team travelled to Manchester on Saturday 2 April to undertake a unique football experience, including a match against Manchester City’s Academy team.
The week kicked off with their first training session on one of the 16 pitches at the CFA, including a tour of the facility and watching the Club’s under-10 and under-12 Academy matches against Hull City.
Northcote’s received its first experience of English football when they challenged City’s select Academy side, going down 4-0 but showing plenty of positive signs in the second half.
The week continued in Manchester with a tour of the historic city, a trip to the National Football Museum, another session on the CFA’s iconic community pitch and watching the Champions League tie between Manchester City and PSG in prime-time.
Wednesday saw the team tour Etihad Stadium and take part in a round robin tournament with Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Celtic, which provided an invaluable experience for the group against some of the UK’s best academy sides.
In what was a week to remember for all the players and parents of the group, Northcote City farewelled Manchester’s CFA for a week they will never forget.
