BANGOR CITY F.C. ACADEMY

ACADEMI C.P.D. DINAS BANGOR BANGORACADEMI C>

KEELE AND GALWAY 2010

Bangor City’s Football Academy recently competed in two different international tournaments. Four teams travelled to Keele University to compete in the week long Keele International Cup whilst two of the older age groups travelled to Ireland to compete in the prestigious Galway Umbro Cup. Bangor City’s Head of Youth Ioan Llewelyn commented ‘It is always a good experience for the Bangor players to travel to these type of tournaments where it is often the first time away from home for some and, from a footballing perspective, the standard of opposition is strong. It is a good measure of how the players are developing.’

At the Keele Cup, the U11 side competed in the professional group and gained great experience playing against the likes of Blackpool, Port Vale, Watford and Wolverhampton – their greatest performance enabling a 2-1 victory over Port Vale. The U12’s side won all their group games before losing in the semi final to a strong Gloucester City side. The U13’s competed in a strong professional group where they produced their best performance against Kidderminster Harriers in a 2-2 draw game. The U14’s strengthened as the week progressed before losing out on penalties in a play off final.

Over in Galway, Bangor’s U15 side were pitted into the elite competition where they faced strong opposition from professional outfits Leicester City, Ipswich Town, FAI National side and Staebeck (Norway).  Ioan explained ‘We knew beforehand that the Galway Cup was a prestigious tournament and that the teams up against us would be very strong. The players thoroughly enjoyed the experience, despite it being a tough week and I believe all the players will have benefited from their attendance. The U17 side, although not making the finals, strengthened throughout the week and many individuals impressed with their performances.’