Oli's In Town!

I am pleased to announce that 8 year old Oliver Whiteley who joined my goalkeeping school last summer has now signed a Centre of Excellence contract for next season at Swindon Town Football Club.

Oli is a real character and has shown real natural ability this season which saw him enter the Centre of Excellence where he has been playing in our under 8's at Swindon Town at which point they do not sign contracts. Along with coaching him on a Monday night, over the past month I have also phased Oli into my goalkeeping sessions with the Centre of Excellence goalkeepers at Swindon and he has integrated well.  

I recommended to the Centre of Excellence Director that we should sign him up for next season and he along with the outfield coaches who work with the Under 8's agreed and so he becomes a contracted player who will take his place in next season's Under 9's squad.

Although on one hand I am disappointed to lose him from my goalkeeping school, I am pleased for him as one of my aims is to improve the goalkeepers and push them on to the best level they can play at. This has been achieved so far with Oli and I will still be working with him at Swindon to help him develop further.

I have agreed with Oli's parents that he will finish up the season at my goalkeeping school while continuing his sessions with the Under 8's squad and with myself and the other Centre goalkeepers and then integrate on a permanent basis with the Under 9's next season.

He's a great kid and a real character and in one of his first sessions at Swindon it happened to be his birthday and he brought a carrier bag full of mini bags of Haribo's to share with his fellow goalkeepers!

 Now thats what I call being part of the "Goalkeepers Union"

Well done Oli!

Steve Hale