Blackpool Youth Tournament 2023
JUNE 4TH, 2023
The club proudly travelled to the Blackpool youth football tournaments to make it the 8th year the club has been represented there. This time around, we took 55 players across 5 teams; the Under 8s who entered a year up and were bolstered by the support of Lilly, Georgia and Noelle from the Under 9s, the Under 10s fresh off the back of their league and cup double, the ever-improving Under 11s, the League Cup and Champions League winning Under 12s, and our oldest representatives, the Under 15 Blacks.
On Saturday, each team played 3 group games. The Under 8s, 10s and 12s all ended the day with the same points after 2 wins and a defeat. The Under 8s and 10s were both agonisingly on the wrong end of a 2-1 defeat while the Under 12s only defeat came against a superb representative side made up of academy players from clubs across the North West.
The Under 11s didn’t play until the afternoon and ended the day having won one and losing two, both by narrow margins.
The Under 15s had a tough morning in a very high standard competition, and were unable to record any points on the board.
The teams had another fantastic evening on Saturday with team meals out, trips to the beach, pool and darts competitions and much more; a true evening of team building and making memories with your best friends.
On Sunday, the Under 10s had one group game remaining, while the other four teams had two more fixtures to complete their groups.
The Under 8s qualified for the Under 9s Cup final with two wins from two on Sunday. The Under 10s beat Prudhoe 2-1 with a Scarlett Watson solo goal in the dying minutes to see them qualify for the Cup final in 2nd place behind Chester Nomads.
The Under 11s recorded another win on Sunday morning and qualified for the Plate quarter-final against the team they had beaten that very morning!
The Under 12s faced 4th place Chester Nomads first on Sunday and came away with a victory, before drawing 0-0 with 2nd place Preston and despite dominating a fiery game, were unable to find that elusive goal that would see them reach the Cup final.
The Under 15s rounded off their group games with two narrow defeats and made their way to the Plate quarter-final against fellow North East side Darlington.
The Under 8s played Runcorn Saxons Under 9s in the Cup final; the only side to beat them over the whole weekend. Runcorn took the lead before Georgia equalised for Norton. It was Runcorn who got the third and final goal which saw them lift the trophy. A very, very valiant effort from our youngsters who proved themselves as one of the top teams in the competition.
The Under 10s final took place on the adjacent pitch and it was sure to be a tight affair as they faced the Chester Nomads side who were the only team to beat the Under 10s in 2023! Norton started quickly and it was Molly who broke the deadlock. Only minutes after going down injured, she dusted herself off and converted a lovely through ball with a deft dink over the goalkeeper. For the remainder of the game, the Under 10s were under constant pressure but they stood firm and completed the treble they had aimed for at the start of the season.
The Under 11s faced Darwen Purples for the second time in only a couple of hours. In a heated contest that matched the hot Blackpool sun, the game went to penalties after a 1-1 draw. Isabelle Fisher put Norton in front after only 26 seconds, but unfortunately Darwen grabbed an equaliser taking the game to penalties, and despite a valiant effort from our most-improved side, they were unable to reach the semi-final stage. The girls did fantastically well in what has been a season of huge learning and development, and one of creating lifelong friendships.
The Under 12s kicked off the Plate semi-final off the back of two great, battling performances in the closing group games. They saw off Belmont before setting up the same final as the Under 10s, Norton vs Chester Nomads. Another dominant performance saw the girls pick up their third trophy of the season so far!
The Under 15s faced Darlington Locomotives in the Plate quarter-final which had many impressive sides in it. The game looked destined for penalties but a very late winner for Darlington saw the Under 15s eliminated at the quarter-final stage. A great effort from the girls in an age-group littered with some excellent sides.
Our girls and coaches represented themselves and the club excellently throughout the weekend, creating memories to last a lifetime and strengthening and creating new friendships both within and across the age groups, and between players, coaches and parents alike.
𝕀𝕥’𝕤 𝕒 ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘