Focus College Awards announced at annual awards ceremony.
Twenty-six of the top football colleges in England recently came together for the prestigious BCS/FA National Focus College Awards to celebrate outstanding achievements in the development of football in the further education sector.
‘Focus College’ is the pinnacle status available to a college in football development and recognises those colleges that are making significant strides in their provision.
The event was open to the 20 focus colleges currently in the programme while FA Director of Football Services Jonathan Hall was in attendance to formally welcome the seven new colleges who were selected at the end of May. These were: Hartlepool Sixth Form College, Hartlepool FE College, Dudley College, Moulton College, South Down’s College, Huntingdonshire Regional and Truro College.
The major honour of the night, the ‘Focus College of the Year’ award, went to Bridgwater College in recognition of their achievements across a range of football programmes, including increasing participation, developing coaches, referees and young leaders, strengthening and making new partnership links within the local community and striving for excellence across their football provision at the college.
The other individual award winners were:
Growing the Game
Award Winner: Tyne Met College
Special Mention: The Manchester College, South Devon College, Derby College
Partnerships
Award Winner: Bridgwater College
Special Mention: Birmingham Met College, Queen Mary’s 6th Form, Exeter College
Innovation
Award Winner: Easton College
Special Mention: Queen Elizabeth 6th Form, South Essex College, Queen Mary’s 6th Form
Increasing Participation
Award Winner: Telford College (TCAT)
Special Mention: Leeds City College, Grantham College, Richard Huish 6th Form, South Cheshire College
Workforce Development
Award Winner: Queen Elizabeth 6th Form
Special Mention: East Norfolk Sixth Form, Bridgwater College, Kingston College, Newcastle under Lyme College
Player Development
Award Winner: Birmingham Met College
Special Mention: Kingston College, Bridgwater College, Telford College (TCAT)
Jason Gunningham, Section Leader for Sport and Services at Bridgwater College, who collected the award together with Paul Barlow, Director for Sports Academies, commented: “We’re absolutely honoured and privileged to receive not one but two national awards, so it’s been a fantastic evening and it’s credit to staff and students who have put so much work in over the last year that we are here to receive these awards on behalf of them.”
Current Focus Colleges (and their respective County FA’s)
Tyne Met College (Northumberland FA)
Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College (Durham FA )
Hartlepool FE College (Durham FA )
Hartlepool Sixth Form College (Durham FA )
Leeds City College (West Riding FA)
The Manchester College (Manchester FA)
South Cheshire College (Cheshire FA)
Newcastle Under Lyme College (Staffordshire FA)
Derby College (Derbyshire FA)
Grantham College (Lincolnshire FA)
Telford College of Arts & Technology (Shropshire FA)
Birmingham Metropolitan College (Birmingham FA)
Dudley College (Birmingham FA)
Moulton College (Northamptonshire FA)
Huntingdonshire Regional College (Huntingdonshire FA)
Easton College (Norfolk FA)
East Norfolk Sixth Form College (Norfolk FA)
South Essex College (Essex FA)
Kingston College (Surrey FA)
Queen Mary’s Sixth Form College (Hampshire FA)
South Downs College (Hampshire FA)
Bridgwater College (Somerset FA)
Richard Huish Sixth Form College (Somerset FA)
Exeter College (Devon FA)
South Devon College (Devon FA)
Truro College (Cornwall FA)
