Barnet Football Club is pleased to announce that it has now started recruiting its new intake of players for the Under 18 College Development Programme.

The U18 College Development Programme offers boys who have just finished their GCSEs a chance to study at Stanmore College in either A Levels or a BTEC in Sport whilst enabling them to train full time for Barnet Football Club’s U18 Development Squad based at The Hive, the £11m training complex and home to Barnet FC. The programme works in partnership with Stanmore College and provides academic support where students are helped to develop and achieve excellence in both their chosen sport and academically.

The programme offers a unique experience where players train at a state-of-the-art training ground amongst the League Two professionals and Scholarship players at the club.

The U18 Development team play their matches in the English Colleges League every Wednesday afternoon. The players are coached and mentored by UEFA B License coaches from the Academy with training taking place from Monday through to Thursday.

In 2011 the programme achieved great success with four players from the development programme (Jamal Lowe, Jamal Hackett, George McCluskey & Ifeanyi Allen) earning scholarships with the Barnet FC Youth Team and in 2012 Jamal Lowe was offered a 2-year professional contract. Every player that is successful in joining the programme will be monitored by the Academy Manager & U18 Head Coach.

The Development programme also provides full training kit, match day travel, gym usage and season tickets to see the Barnet First Team play on Saturdays in Npower League Two games.

If you are still undecided about your future and would like the chance to study and train for a future career in football and sports then contact Ross Eames (Development Programme Manager) directly at reames@barnetfcacademy.com

Places are limited and the programme will only take players we deem appropriate for the course. In order to do so players must fulfil the requirements listed below to be successful.

• Obtain the appropriate GCSE grades for a Level 3 BTEC In Sport or A Levels when leaving school

• Apply to Stanmore College and complete the interview process via Stanmore College. College application form obtained from www.Stanmore.ac.uk 

• Aged between 16-19 as a U16 leaving school in summer 2013 or a U17.

• Based in a convenient location with easy access to get to The Hive Barnet FC Training Ground and Stanmore College

• Please complete the U17 Development Form and send back to reames@barnetfcacademy.com with contact number, age and email address to be invited to the trials. 

All applicants must fit all requirements and fulfil the above criteria to be successful and obtain a place on the course.

Please note that if successful when applying for the Development Programme a cost of £600 is payable per year which covers: Training Kit, Away Match Day Travel, Medical Treatment, Season Ticket to Barnet FC Npower League Two games and use of the gym for strength and conditioning.