Football

Staff member in charge: Mr David Leggett

To download a profile of Mr David Leggett click here

To download a profile of Mr Simon Gough click here

Building a legacy

The ethos of our football programme is simple and clear: We have the ambition to develop the players that come to St Bede’s to help them fulfil their potential. We are proud of the development in players and teams that has taken place over recent years here at St Bede’s. Some of our players have gone on to play professional football, some have moved on to university coaching courses, some have moved on to play at non league level and some have remained in and around St Bede’s to make a difference.

The real driver of our development programme comes in the lower school. Our junior teams train regularly throughout the week and play every weekend in a competitive football fixture programme.

1st XI Coach: David Leggett is a UEFA B qualified coach. There are a number of staff who assist with the training, many of whom hold formal qualifications. Simon Gough is attached to Brighton and Hove Albion as a coach.

Facilities: Four full-size football pitches, with three more due to be in use by September 2011. A Gym is available for strength training and an all-weather pitch for wet weather training.

Number of teams: Eleven boys’ teams are selected in various age groups for midweek and Saturday fixtures. There are four open teams, three U15 teams and three U14 teams. An U16 team is selected for the county cup. A junior and senior girls’ team compete throughout the year.

Fixtures: An extensive fixture list is played in the Autumn term against the top public schools in England. These include Eton, Charterhouse, Millfield and Lancing. St Bede’s also enters the National 6-a-side tournament, the Sussex Cup, the Independent Schools Football Association cup and the English Schools Football Association cup. Two senior and two junior sides play throughout the Spring term through to Easter. For a more detailed fixture list please visit the School calendar.

Dress: St Bede’s plays in Green and White hoops.

Notable achievements: Dan Harding (1999-2002) selected for England U21, Romulo Dos Santos now plays for Benfica (2009), Michael Oluwatosin plays for Real Sport Club and James Norwood represented the Full English U18 schoolboys side 2008/9 before signing for league one side Exeter City FC. St Bede's 1st XI striker James Norwood received his England call up in the spring of 2009. He went to Villarreal in Spain for a training camp in the February and during March and April was part of the England Schoolboy squad representing their country in internationals against Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. He was also part of a magical experience when England played France at Wembley, scoring in a 4 – 2 loss.

Other recent achievements include Matthew Aldred who represented England Futsal team, James Aldred who captained the Independent Schools U18 England side and Zac Attwood who was also a starring member of the same side in 2007. Macsen Lake Edwards, James Norwood, Michael Oluwatosin, Michael Brown and Larry Egunjobi have also represented the England Independent U18 side the last couple of seasons. A number of our players across the age ranges represent Sussex County.

The First XI have been particularly successful over recent years and were the U18 English National Champions in 2009 after a 5-2 victory over Carre’s Grammar School from Lincolnshire. The St Bede’s 1st XI season culminated in being named The Evening Standard Schoolboy Team of the Year. They won a trophy and special training shirts provided by the Nike Bootroom in Oxford Street.

The First XI were also Sussex Champions for the season 2008/9. Previous successes include the 1st XI being crowned the Southern Independent Schools League winners and Sussex County Cup winners 2007 and the 2nd XI holding the title of Sussex 2nd XI Champions during the season 2007/8. The current 1st XI are Sussex 6’s champions and narrowly lost out in the National 6’s final to Repton School in September.

This year St Bede’s has been working with both the FA and ISFA as part of the Focus School initiative to help broaden the opportunities within football here at St Bede’s and to also help the wider community and to develop our players as people off the field. St Bede's was awarded the accolade as the first independent FA Focus School in the country. The appointment is recognition of good practice within its football programme including performance, coaching and promoting youth leadership within the sport. Key areas of strategy including the growth of more school teams through a co-ordinated competitions programme, development of 5-11 year olds through coaching and competition in prep schools and workforce development for teachers and students with a particular emphasis on establishing a leadership and volunteering programme.

Girls’ Football

Girls’ Football is a popular and fast growing sporting club within the school. We enter the Girls’ ESFA competitions in the U15, U16 and U18 age groups and are ISFA National Champions at U18 level in our debut year to the competition. We also compete in the ISFAG Football Competitions; these consist of the National Sixes at U15 and U18 level where we hold both titles as well as the U18 Eleven A-side Football competition held in the spring and summer term.

We have had many of our girls gain ISFAG colours for their representation at National level; Olivia Bohac (U18) Sophie Rudge (U18), Marleine Ngengo (U16), Olivia Hatfield (U14). Girls’ Football is very much growing in strength and depth and we train once a week alongside highly qualified coaching staff who hold national representation honours.

Football Tours

St Bede’s has been on a number of successful football tours over the last few years including to Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro. To read more about the 2011 tour to Portugal click on the link http://www.dukessportstravel.com/35.html to read the daily blog, or click here to go to a full account with photo gallery.