Exeter College Hosts Junior Premier League Girls Teams
Exeter City Community Trust and Exeter College look forward to welcoming Tottenham and Crystal Palace to the Exwick Sports Hub this November as part of the ever-growing programme for women’s and girls’ football here in Exeter.
The Exeter City Junior Premier League U15 girls team is one of three sides representing the city in England’s largest national youth football league, which includes 2,500 teams, and places an emphasis on player development in order to combine the best aspects of grassroots football and academy setups.
The team is managed by the Exeter City Community Trust as part of their wider girls’ development centre programme, which provides opportunities for young players of all ages to develop their technical and tactical, psychological, physical, and social skills in a professional, engaging, and supportive environment.
The development centre is led by Exeter College alumni and former Exeter City Women’s Football Club manager, Aaron Wakely, who works in partnership with the College to deliver our Women’s Football Academy.
Speaking on the partnership and the upcoming fixtures, Aaron Wakely said that “the partnership between Exeter College and the Community Trust has played a transformational role in the development of women’s and girls’ football here in Exeter.”
“In recent years it’s been a privilege to work with the College and see the rapid progress made at all levels of the game, which has resulted in several players graduating from our development centre and the College Academy to represent the football club’s women’s team at the senior level with great success.”
“The JPL is the most recent addition to our wider women and girls’ programme, and Tottenham and Crystal Palace’s visits show the energy and ambition that we have for the game and will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent that we have here in our part of the country.”
“Given all that we have done in partnership with the College in the past few years to grow the game and support young people on and off the pitch, it’s perfect that we will be hosting these fixtures at the hub and I’m sure that it will be a positive experience for all involved, not least the players, who are the driving force behind all that we do.”
Alex Boyle, Head of Sport at Exeter College, commented; “It’s a real pleasure to be hosting the Exeter City Junior Premier League U15 Girls team for two high-quality fixtures against internationally renowned football clubs, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace. Our strong relationship with Exeter City Community Trust and Exeter City Football Club ensures we continue to support women’s and girls’ sport, from under-16 football right through to the Exeter City Women’s first team.”
“I hope the players thrive in both fixtures and enjoy experiencing the College environment, inspiring them to work towards studying at Exeter College and joining our Women’s Football Academy in the future.”
