A fantastic opportunity, for any young and talented footballer who aims to make it Welsh Premier or higher in the senior game as well as ensuring a first class education, in their chosen field.

The gap Coleg Cambria scholarship programme is based at Deeside and been built around the American student athlete model with football being used as the motivator for players to excel both on the field and in the classrooms.

Unlike other football scholarships where all players must take the level 2/3 sports course only, players will have the opportunity to take any level 2/3 diploma offered at the college as well as any AS/A levels.

Next academic year will be the second of the Deeside Coleg Cambria multi million pound A Level facility which has been a huge success and even more A levels available to players than any other college or school in Wales.

The football side of the programme will consist of three football specific training sessions per week as well as two strength and conditioning sessions, recovery session and match analyst session.

All of these will take place prior and after college time and ensures no interfence with academic work as well as training professionally in the football game.

On top of this players will represent the college under the Gap Coleg Cambria banner on Wednesday afternoons playing in the North West elite college league as well as being entered into the British Colleges Cup and Welsh Schools Cup competitions.

Next year will be the fourth year of the programme and following the success this season of having two sides for the last two seasons, this will be maintained next campaign with around thirty players playing in tier one and tier two of the North West College programme.

All these fixtures will take place on the Deeside Stadium and The Quay 3G surfaces which ensures top class playing facilities for all training sessions and games over the campaign.

Players will also represent the club for the first team if selected on Saturdays as well as the chance to play for under 18s on Saturdays in the Clwyd East Mens League and our under 19s on Sundays in the Welsh Premier Development League.

This number of games available will ensure all 30 plus scholars first and second years have potential to play anything from 50-70 games in the season. Even more if selected for international duty!

Players will be clearly identified in college and will always wear gap tracksuits and training gear in the week both in the classrooms and when training.

As well as this all players will be gaining full gym memberships to Lifestyle Fitness as part of the programme which would usually be a £360 yearly fee, which players will get for free!

Players performance in the classroom is pivotal and if any rules such as 95% attendance as well as maintaining grades set by teachers drops, the player will be unable to train or play until they are back on track academically.

A hugely successful program going into its fourth season now with the great link between the football club and Coleg Cambria and this is limited to only a further fifteen-eighteen players for next season who are currently in year eleven and going into year twelve in September 2017.

Again unlike other scholarship programmes this is only for a select fifteen-eighteen maximum and is an unbelievable opportunity for those selected.

This will add to the current fifteen scholars who will be entering their second year of the programme for the 2017-18 season.

The open evening will include a presentation from Jay Catton who heads up the programme alongside scholarship coaches Sean Regan and Iian Bennett.

As well as this their will be a presentation from Coleg Cambria head and staff to explain more on the programme from the academic side and hopefully be able to answer any questions.

Again the evening is open to any interested players from any football club not just gap Connah’s Quay Nomads players.

This includes players from Flintshire, North Wales and the North West.

We are also able to offer accommodation for those from outside the area at The Village St Davids Park Hotel also for those who need accommodation to attend.

Any under 15 players who maybe keen to join in September 2018 are also welcome to attend as are any under 14s for two years time also.

Following the meeting their will be a second open evening on:

Thursday 31st March.

Following these two evenings and applications received we will be holding two trial dates for players these will be on:

Monday 10th April – 16:00-18:00

Tuesday 11th April – 16:00-18:00

Both of the above trial dates will take place on The Quay 3G facility.

These are open trials and anyone can attend who is currently an under 16/year 11 in school.

The biggest successes of the scholarship programme over the last three seasons to date include:

• All 52 players over the three years have remained on the programme at Coleg Cambria (not one drop out). All on no lower than level 3 diplomas or A levels
• All 52 players have work complete and up to date and all boast over a 95% attendance in the classroom
• The college teams are both currently top of both respected tier 1 and 2 leagues. 2015/16 season both A and B sides won the league and cup doubles.
• 12 Scholars have been selected for Wales at Under 18 Level as well as Welsh Schools U18 and Wales Colleges U19 sides in last three years (More than any other college or club).
• 11 Scholars have represented the first team over last three seasons in competitive Welsh Premier fixtures

Full and updated list of Academy Scholar graduates following class of 2016 is as follows:

Josh Rimmer 2016 – Sport Science Degree – University of Edge Hill
Ryan Bailey 2016 – Engineering Apprenteship
Jordan Fraser 2016 – Mechanic Apprenteship with Toyota
George Meredith 2016 - (Sport Science Degree) University of Edge Hill
Daniel McAdam 2016 - (Sport Science Degree) University of Edge Hill
Leon Doran 2016 - (Sport Science Degree) University of Edge Hill
Chris Boyes 2016 - (Sport Science Degree) Liverpool and offer of USA Scholarship
Jack Chambers 2016 - (Business Administration and Management Degree) Thomas University, Georgia, USA
James Kilburn 2016 - (Sport Business and Management Degree) Midland University, Nebraska, USA
Thomas Bibby 2016 - (Sport Management Degree) San Antonio, Texas, USA
Ben Nash 2016 – (Coaching job with gap Connah’s Quay Nomads Academy and Community)
Jordan Manley 2016 – (Physiotherapy Degree) University of Central Lancashire
Josh Jones 2016 – (Sport Science Degree) University of Chester

We look forward to welcoming all keen student athletes on Thursday 2nd March in what should be a great open evening and the start of an exciting adventure for those scholars taken on.

If any players are interested now prior to this meeting they are asked to contact Director of Football Jay Catton on the following e mail address:

jay.catton@the-nomads.co.uk

Included in the e mail we require an official expression of interest, previous playing history, favoured playing position, expected GCSE grades and what course they may wish to study at Coleg Cambria.