Our new Under 11’s football team, Nechells Lions FC, have joined the Sandwell Minor League – playing 9 a side football on a Sunday mornings. We have been generously sponsored by Approved Shopfitting & Interiors (ASI) and FLR Group, enabling us to buy the necessary equipment needed to enter the league.

Our first match was possibly the worst start we could have! It was the first time many of the boys had played together, and some didn’t even know each others’ names. We didn’t know what was expected of us, being our first ever competitive game, and so it was a very steep learning curve. We managed to score 3 goals, but allowed the other team to score 13!

We train on a Tuesday night with the AVFC Kicks programme, at Heartlands Academy, and then separately on a Wednesday. With all the additional hard work and efforts from the coaching and management staff, and the lads themselves, the team have made a massive improvement and the last 3 matches have seen a win, a loss and a draw. Keep an eye out for the weekly match reports.