Youngsters at Sunderland Football Club are receiving praise from many quarters for their ability on the field and their work off it.

 

Brian Buddle, the club’s Head of Education and Welfare, says that the boys deserve the highest praise for their efforts on the pitch and in the classroom.

 

“Our under 18 team had a fantastic season. They won the Premier Academy regional league and unluckily lost the National Play-off Final to Leicester City on penalties. Even the Leicester coaching staff were of the opinion that our lads deserved to win.

 

“This was only half of the story though as all our second-year scholars successfully completed the Modern Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (2 ‘A’ Level equivalence). They all passed the Football Coaching Level 2 award as well as the Officiating in Sport Level 7 award (Refereeing).

 

“The boys also successfully completed the BTEC National Certificate in Sport and Exercise Science (2 ‘A’ Level equivalence). Between them they gained 32 Distinctions, 39 Merits and 23 passes across the 12 units.

 

“The external verifiers commented that the work was of a very high quality and best they had seen nationally so far this year. On another visit they said that the results were within the top five nationally – if not top.

 

“Our present second years have just had their NVQ signed off and the League Football Education internal verifier has described the work as ‘phenomenal’. Likewise, I am told that our Ofsted inspection has resulted in us getting a Grade 1.”

 

Three of the boys – Jamie Chandler (pictured playing for England under 18s) – David Dowson and Robbie Weir were awarded professional contracts, while Gavin Donoghue was given a further six months to prove his worth following a second year disrupted by a potentially serious injury from which he has now totally recovered.