Academy of Excellence week ends with a visit to Fulham FC
Our first Academy of Sporting Excellence – Creating Community Champions week culminated with a behind the scenes visit to the fantastic training facilities @ Fulham FC.
Those veterans of WF like myself will know the GREAT LEE HAGGER from Norlington/Tom Hood now Head of Academy Player Care at Fulham FC, kindly arranged for a group of 16 children, young people and staff/volunteers to take the trip.
We began with a Q&A session with Lee and an overview of the set up, watched the first team train, then an insight into a weekly timetable of an Academy player seeing the emphasis on Education Fulham FC believe in. We then finished with watching the U16s train as well as the goalkeepers, with young Zayn, Esa and Aaron having a penalty shoot out with them. We also met Kit Symons, the Fulham manager who was equally humble and welcoming and epitomised the humility around the whole ground.
Director of Community Engagement Sab Bham, “Lee is a personal friend for over 15 years and someone I have been fortunate enough to learn with and from. We worked together @ Tom Hood and developed a professional respect and taking a group to Fulham was an honour. The insight into careers in football, not just players and the success of Lee, who is an East London person himself, inspires us all. We are working on a wider partnership with Fulham FC and hope that in years to come our young people end up at a great youth set up as players and also our staff/volunteers progress to working for a club that we can only try to model.”
You are too kind Sab
Your group were the most classiest, respectful and engaging group we’ve had.
A testimony to the work of Salaam Peace
Your friendship means everythingLee Hagger – Head of Academy Player Care, Fulham FC
