Welcome to Watford FC Community Sports & Education Trust’s Player Development Pathway. Please navigate your way through the different tabs to explore and find out more information regarding our different offers/tiers available to local grassroots football players.
Weetabix Wildcats & Skills Centre
Tier 1 sessions are the entry level to our player development pathway. There are no entry requirements (e.g. trial process), with bookings open to all grassroots football players looking for an additional skills session each week. Players that excel on our tier 1 sessions, can be recommended for trial on our tier 2 sessions (Player Development Centres).
Weetabix Wildcats (Girls)
A non-competitive football session for girls who want to give football a go for the very first time or want to play with other girls their own age. Most importantly, Weetabix Wildcats is all about having loads of fun and meeting amazing new friends, whilst developing technical ability on the ball.
Ages | 5–11 |
Day | Fridays |
Time | 4.45pm–5.30pm |
Location | Watford FC Training Ground, AL2 1BZ |
Cost | £3.00 per session |
Booking link | Click Here |
Skills Centre (Boys)
Turn up and play session, for grassroots football players looking to receive an additional skills session per week. These sessions will work on different technical aspects of the game, in line with our tier 2 (PDC) coaching syllabus.
Ages | U7–U14 (Year 2 – Year 9) |
Day | Tuesdays & Thursdays |
Time | 6pm/6.30pm–7pm/7.30pm |
Location | Watford, St Albans, and Harrow |
Cost | £5.00 per session |
Booking Link | Watford – Click Here St Albans – Click Here Harrow – Click Here |
Player Development Centres
Tier 2 sessions are designed for ‘advanced’ grassroots football players, looking to develop their game further. Players will receive one session (1hr) per week, with an additional fixture programme. Coaches will work across the FA Four Corner Model (Technical/Tactical, Psychological, Physical, and Social) and our PDC coaching/playing syllabus (in possession, out of possession, and transitions) to ensure we improve the player’s overall game. Sessions are catered to work with the individual and to improve the individual as a player and as a person. Players will also receive two individual player reports per season to inform the players their areas of strength and areas of development, with a retain/release process at the end of each season. Kit option is also available with our tier 2 sessions.
If players are excelling at our tier 2 sessions, players can be recommended for our tier 3 sessions, Advanced PDC (boys), and Girls Emerging Talent Centre.
Player Development Centres
Ages | U7–U16 (Year 2–Year 11) Boys U10–U16 (Year 5–Year 11) Girls |
Day | Mondays |
Time | Girls U10–U12: 5.00pm–6.00pm U14: 6.00pm–7.00pm Boys U7–U10: 6.00pm–7.00pm U11–U13: 7.00pm–8.00pm U14–U16: 8.00pm–9.00pm |
Location | Boys Watford, St Albans, Hemel Hempstead, and Harrow Girls St Albans |
Cost | £6.00 per session |
Register your interest (Waiting List) | Click Here |
If requesting a trial, please use the link above to register your child’s details on our waiting list. Please do not email directly if requesting a trial. Applications are reviewed every 4–6 weeks, with successful applicants contacted and invited into trial. Please note, submitting your child’s details on our waiting list DOES NOT guarantee your child a trial.
Advanced Player Development Centre (Boys)
Our Advanced PDC is designed for players looking to push on beyond grassroots football. We offer two sessions per week, with an additional fixture programme during school holidays against other similar shadow/elite/advanced squads. We also organise additional fixtures against professional academies as a showcase fixture for our Advanced PDC players to showcase their ability in front of academy coaches/scouts.
The Player Development Manager & Advanced PDC head coach will be constantly reviewing and observing players, and any players that they feel are ready for the step up for an academy trial, we will send a trial recommendation to local professional football academies. For the majority, the Advanced PDC will create unforgettable experiences in terms of training at high quality facilities, in addition to playing in the WFC kit for fixtures. Players will also receive two face-to-face development meetings to discuss their development, with a retain/release process twice a season (December & June).
Advanced Player Development Centre (Boys)
Ages | U7–16 (Year 2–Year 11) Boys |
Day | Mondays & Fridays |
Time | Mondays U7–U12: 6.30pm–7.30pm U13–U16: 6.30pm–8.00pm Fridays U7–U10: 5.15pm–6.15pm U11–U12: 6.30pm–7.30pm U13–U16: 7.45pm–9.15pm |
Location | Mondays Borehamwood FC Fridays Watford FC Training Ground (St Albans) |
Cost | £7.50 per session |
Register your interest (Waiting List) | Click Here
|
If requesting a trial, please use the link above to register your child’s details on our waiting list. Please do not email directly if requesting a trial. Applications are reviewed every 4-6 weeks, with successful applicants contacted and invited into trial. Please note, submitting your child’s details on our waiting list DOES NOT guarantee your child a trial.
FA Girls Emerging Talent Centre
The Football Association have allocated Watford FC CSE Trust the new ‘FA Girls Emerging Talent Centre,’ with the main aims of increasing the number of environments to support player transition from participation to excellence, creating a wide base to the pathway that’s fully inclusive and accessible to all players, and creating a diverse player pool of which to select from. Players will receive 1.5 hours of training per week, working in line with our ETC coaching syllabus to improve all aspects of the players’ game. Players will also receive fixtures during school holidays and two face-to-face development meetings across the season to discuss their development, with a retain/release process once a season (June).
Ages | U10–U16 (Year 5–Year 11) |
Day | Fridays |
Time | U10–U12: 5.30pm–7.00pm U13–U16: 7.15pm–8.45pm |
Location | Watford FC Training Ground (St Albans) |
Cost | Approx £4.00-£5.00 per session |
Register your interest (Waiting List) | Click Here |
If requesting a trial, please use the link above to register your child’s details on our waiting list. Please do not email directly if requesting a trial. Applications are reviewed every 4-6 weeks, with successful applicants contacted and invited into trial. Please note, submitting your child’s details on our waiting list DOES NOT guarantee your child a trial
Hemel Hempstead Player Development Centre
St Albans Player Development Centre
Girls Player Development Centre
Advanced Player Development Centre