As this time of year, the Herts Youth League season is winding down, and the thrill of the Cup Finals takes centre stage. Last weekend, the finals for the five Under 11 leagues unfolded at Herts FA’s County Ground in Letchworth.
I was lucky enough to be there to watch my son, Euan, and his team, St Albans City Youth – Romans, compete in the Larch division final. Just a stone’s throw away, on the neighbouring pitch, St Albans Rangers – Victoria were limbering up for their Oak division final.
Looking out at the two teams, I was struck at how many of these young players started out with us at VPFC, before going on to develop their skills and love for the game elsewhere. In fact, six of the thirteen Romans players first played football with us at VPFC. And the Rangers team? They were all VPFC players just last year and moved together to create a new league team. It was pretty impressive and exciting stuff to see them reach the final in their very first season in the league.
But the story goes beyond just these two teams. Having coached our U11 group until this year, I know the journeys of children from that group best. We’ve seen our players move on to various other local teams within St Albans. Five more of our alumni now play for St Albans City Youth’s West team; we also have former players at East, Central, and two of the girls’ teams; as well as Harvesters and Wheathampstead Wanderers.
The finals were a treat to watch. The Romans, trailing 1-0 at half-time, produced a near flawless second half to win 5-1 with some cracking goals. The Oak final was a tense and exciting game with Rangers ultimately coming out as 3-2 winners.
One of the things we’re most proud of at VPFC is how many of our players choose to take their footballing journey further. It’s why we’ve set up what I think is one of our best initiatives in recent years – our feeder club relationship with St Albans Rangers. In the past, families who wanted to progress to league football had to figure it out on their own. Now, we have a feeder relationship in place with Rangers where they will provide pitches, support and structure for any group of VPFC players that want to move together to form a new team.
That’s not to say we’re changing our focus at VPFC. We’re all about being a friendly, fun and inclusive football club for the local community. That’s perfect for many of our players. They come along, enjoy their Saturday session, and that’s just right for them.
But for those who decide they’re ready for something more, our link with Rangers offers a clear pathway into league football. And what’s great about this is that it doesn’t have to be a one-way street. Families can move to Rangers when they feel ready, and if they ever decide they want to return to the more relaxed VPFC setup, we’ll welcome them back with open arms.
Currently there is at least one ex-VPFC team at St Albans Rangers in every year group from U8 to U12. We think the more the relationship grows the better it gets. Luke Firmin, the manager of the current U8 team is already envisaging how he’d work together with a second team in his year. There is the opportunity to combine training, reducing costs and sharing planning time. Luke also envisions two teams working together as a squad, with players able
to move between teams to play in the team that best suits them.
As we approach the end of the current season, now’s the time to think about what you’d like to do now and beyond. Across several of our year groups there are considerations of possible league teams being formed now or in future years. Share your thoughts on our chat groups to help stimulate the conversations.
