Gateshead College’s Academy for Sport has totted up some impressive results over the last six months with teams and individuals bringing home international, national and regional awards and trophies, as well as players being selected for professional teams.
Women’s Football has been hugely successful with former Gateshead College student, Jill Scott, making history representing the first England squad to beat Germany in the game’s 21 year history. Jill and England Women came third in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The team, which featured five North East women, finished on a high after beating Germany in the third place play-off to secure the best finish by any English side at a World Cup since the men won on home soil in 1966.
A further five of the college’s football students were selected for England Clubs for Young People. The teams came 3rd in the AoC North East Elite league and 3rd in the North East league. Meanwhile, Chloe Johnson’s outstanding talent scored the winning goal in the final of the U18 English Schools’ Football Association league, beating Watford 1-0.
The college’s Men’s Football Development Centre didn’t disappoint either. This season the team won the FA Youth Alliance League and the BCS CAT 3 league as well as being runners up in the FA Youth Alliance National cup, just losing out on penalties to Brentwood. Nine students signed professional contracts Jake Orrell and Ryu Williamson join Chesterfield FC, James Martin and Logan Powell signed for Queen of the South and Dean Briggs, Meechak Kanda, Dillon Morse, Jack Wilson and Shaun MacDonald have signed for Gateshead FC.
Gateshead College’s rugby league team has been named Schools Rugby League College Team of the Year in a fantastic run of success which also saw Charlie Leask, Sandy Rae and Niall Sidney selected to play for Scotland in the Students Rugby League at this year’s Four Nations in Dublin and Cameron Muir Turnbull was selected by England Lionhearts for their tour in Italy.
12 students made the North East College’s Representative Team and four signings were made by Gateshead Thunder: Daniel Bleek, Zack Clarke, Lewis Davey and Sam Luckley. Sam was also selected to play for the England Academy and fellow student, Craig Banks competed for England Colleges.
The rugby union team were AoC national champions and NatWest Future Stars winners. They enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Twickenham to train with England International players Tom Wood, Manu Tuilagi and Marland Yarde during the QBE internationals training camp. They were selected as it was felt the Academy’s values mirrored those of the England rugby team: teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship.
Durham County RFU selected Marc Edmondson, Sam Long, Harry Connell and Elliott Beattie to play while Matt Jenkinson (who also plays for Scottish Exiles) and Larry Mew were chosen by Northumberland RFU. Robbie Forbes now plays for Gloucester and England U18s teams, and Jiri Lancia for the Czech Republic International team.
Liam Gumbrill, Gateshead College’s Rugby Academy coach, has been selected as the team base coordinator for the South Africa and Samoa squads arriving in the region to play their pool matches at St James’s Park this October. The role will see him working with the teams’ rugby officials to ensure training facilities and services are up to standard and that they have the proper documentation, policies, procedures and contingency plans. He will also represent England Rugby 2015 at meetings while making sure that a consistent level of service is provided to all the teams participating in the event.
From the Athletics Academy, high flying Charlie Myers took gold at the English Schools Championships for Pole Vault – a fantastic way to celebrate his 18th birthday! Adam Graham gained his England International Vest and Nathan Walters, Robert Laryea and Stephanie Addison competed in the English Schools Qualifiers.
This season has seen Gateshead College’s Netball Academy break their own records. Ranked 9th in the country, not only have they won the AoC North East Netball League title after competing against eight teams and winning every single match, they have also clocked up one of their best scores, winning 101-12 against Prior Pursglove College. Alex Rhodes was also selected for the 2nd year on the AoC Sport National Netball squad and was named as Captain on the A squad. Our Head Coach Julie Kimber was also appointed as Head Coach for the AoC National squad.
In boxing, Jack Edmonds represented England at the European championships and Ethan Garrety won at the Junior Class B National Championships. Michael Jobson was named Youth ABA Regional Champion and Callum Fenwick was named the Advanced Apprenticeships in Sporting Excellence (AASE) Boxer of the Year for his outstanding commitment and contribution to the programme.
Gateshead College’s Basketball Academy has won the AoC Sport North East league, keeping up their unbeaten record form last year when they were top of the BCS North East league.
Meanwhile in Cricket, Alex Mcgrath and Daniel Kirtley were chosen to play in Durham’s Under 19 Team and Laurence Wood, the under 17s; and Ross Sinclair, Alasdair Appleby and Joe Carrick were selected for Northumberland’s Under 17 Team. And in golf Adam Nicholson competed in the BCS Golf Championships. And in the Judo Academy, Jack Curry, Jack Langton and Natasha Fraser have all qualified for the England Talent Squad.
Judith Doyle, principal and chief executive at Gateshead College commented: I’m very proud of the fantastic achievements of both the students and the coaches who together make the Academy for Sport an exciting hub of sporting excellence that is among the best in the country. Each year we take in talented students and it’s a pleasure to see them further develop and go on to play in national and international tournaments, representing England.”
Academy of Sport students work with coaches to perfect their sporting skills while gaining academic and coaching qualifications, all in an environment which inspires them to achieve great success. The college has academies in men’s and women’s football, athletics, basketball, weightlifting, boxing, cricket, rugby union, rugby league, netball, golf and judo.