ROCHDALE METRO RETURNS WITH HUGE TURNOUT FOR DISTRICT SCHOOLBOY FOOTBALL TRIALS

106 young footballers attend Rochdale Metro trials.

The return of Rochdale Metro District School Team has got off to an incredible start, with 106 young footballersattending trials for the Under-13 and Under-15 teams.

A total of 43 players attended the U13 trials, while a further63 players took part at U15 level, as some of the most talented young footballers from across the borough came together with the opportunity to earn the right to represent Rochdale.

The trials mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Rochdale Metro, which is returning to the English Schools’ Football Association (ESFA) District programme this year after a 15-year absence.

The significance of the opportunity was underlined by the presence of scouts from Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool, who attended the sessions to watch some of the borough’s emerging young footballing talent.

The sessions were delivered by Rochdale AFC Community Trust coaches, working alongside the Rochdale Metro Schools Association and Rob Greenwood of Cardinal Langley, who supported with facilities and communications.

The return of Rochdale Metro provides young players with the opportunity to experience a level of schoolboy football with a proud history, representing their town against District teams from across the region throughout the season.

Following the trials, a squad of approximately 25 players will be selected at each age group (u13 and u15 boys and girls) to represent Rochdale Metro in District fixtures during the year.

Rather than requiring players to make an ongoing weekly commitment, the programme will operate through training camps around fixtures, with players expected to attend preparation sessions ahead of each District match.

The final squads will be announced w/c Monday 19 October, with successful players receiving confirmation through their school. The selected squads will also be announced through Rochdale AFC Community Trust’s website and social media channels.

Importantly, the Rochdale Metro programme will becompletely free for selected players.

The scale of the response to the trials has demonstrated the strength of footballing talent across Rochdale and the appetite for young players to represent their borough.

Rochdale AFC Community Trust Community Director Ryan Bradley said:

“The response to the return of Rochdale Metro has been fantastic. To have more than 100 players attend across the two age groups shows just how much talent there is across our borough and how much pride young people have in representing Rochdale.

“District football is something really special. For a young player, particularly those outside of academy structures, being selected to represent your town is an honour and something that we hope they will remember for the rest of their lives.

“Our thanks go to every player who attended, their schools, parents and grassroots clubs for supporting the programme, as well as Rob Greenwood for helping bring Rochdale Metro back.

“We are hoping that, with a new facility hopefully on the horizon, school boy football can grow once again and we at Rochdale AFC Community Trust will continue to support with the vision of getting more people in Rochdale shirts, being proud to represent the borough and having an affiliation to Rochdale AFC.”

Next week (w/c 12^th) is the turn of the girls, as the under 13’s and u15’s trials take place. Please note that trial places are via school nomination only.