Day Eight - April 26th 2017

Everyone woke up this morning with the sad realization that this was our last full day in England. As I have mentioned in previous posts, we have been spoiled for choice staying at Hotel Football. Some of the kids have come around to the 'Full English' which is a staple match day diet in England. Bacon, sausage, beans, eggs, mushrooms, toast and tomato...not a bad way to start the day. I will say I don't think anyone has given the black sausage a go. If you don't know what it is, Google it and I will let you decide. 

Once we polished off our breakfast we made our way across the road to Old Trafford. When I say across the road I literally mean, across the road. If you fell out of your window at the hotel you would land in one of the seats at the stadium. The whole group took a tour of the  Manchester United Museum and the stadium. The history of the club and supporters was on full display. The tour guide rattled off a ton of impressive numbers such as the stadium holds 76,000 fans which makes it the largest ground outside of Wembley in the country. He also did a great job explaining the significance of the Class of '92 and all of their accomplishments. The best part of the tour was going into the home changing room and seeing firsthand where the greats such as Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney prepared on a match day. An unforgettable time!

After the tour the team went back to the hotel they had a great lunch and followed that with one-on-one evaluations with former Manchester United player and fellow Class of 92 Coach Chris Casper. The players received feedback as well as an evaluation sheet so they could see how they performed over the past few days. There were some helpful tips/suggestions on what they could work on when they returned home to help improve their game.

After the  meetings the group had a great final dinner followed by closing ceremonies hosted by Keith Fane who was the former Manchester United PA Announcer. It was easy to see why he use to be the main man on the mic as he had a fantastic voice! In addition to Keith, United legend Phil Neville joined us for a brilliant Q&A where both Phil and the kids enjoyed some 'banter' about American/British terminology. This was the icing on the cake to a wonderful evening. Did I forget to mention that we had our dinner ceremony on the rooftop pitch?! 

Day Seven - April 25th 2017

We really are living the life here. Sleeping on soccer bedspreads, waking up to Old Trafford outside your window, eating breakfast with memorabilia dotting the walls…I don’t think any of us on this trip are in a rush to get back home! If that wasn’t enough, today was THE day for soccer lovers. Regardless of which team you support, the fact that members of the Class of ’92 are putting sessions on for you is a dream come true. It just happens to be a bonus for two of our staff who are massive United supporters.

After breakfast all of the teams headed over to Manchester City’s old training ground, Carrington Training Center. The teams were split up and spent the next two hours training with Scholes, Giggs and Butt. Each legend hosted a station with a specific skill/objective and the kids were able to spend 30 minutes with them each. Each one of these players had a unique perspective on things and it certainly rubbed off on all of the players. I think some of them managed to pick up some new tricks and will be eager to try them out when they get back to the ‘States’. Afterwards the players were able to take photos with the CO92 members and get some autographs as well. Needless to say, any autographed items will be treated like gold and strapped to us when we board the plane back home!

Back at the hotel the kids enjoyed some lunch before they headed off again for their fixtures in the evening. The U12 & U14 girls faced off against Liverpool whilst the U12 boys played against Burnley. Even though some of our staff and players are MUFC fans, the opportunity to play against the biggest rival (Liverpool) was truly a special occasion. Liverpool has a close connection with New England due to the fact that their owner is John Henry who owns the Boston Red Sox. The girls had a fantastic time and gave Liverpool a real test which shows how far they have come on this trip. The boys competed against Burnley (another Club in the Premier League) and it was a really competitive affair. It was a scrappy, hard fought game and the boys went toe-to-toe with the Burnley.

After we presented all the players with their Nike balls and commemorative plaques we headed back to Hotel Football, slightly exhausted but beaming from ear to ear. The kids loved every minute today and truth be told, so did we!

Day Six - April 24th 2017

As I mentioned yesterday, the days are flying by and that is a testament to how great the trip is going. The kids were taken to Manchester Mall for a bit of 'retail therapy' and they couldn't wait to check out what types of clothes, souvenirs and other unique items they could find at the shopping center. The most sought after items of course were Union Jack hoodies and soccer jerseys. At least we can say they didn't waste all of their money on sweets mainly because they did that the day before! The mall wasn't too different to what we are accustomed to in America but there was some really cool architecture that proved useful for some photo-ops.

After the mall the teams headed back to Hotel Football where they took part in a seminar with a world renowned sports psychologist. He has worked with some of the highest profile athletes in the world and it was a great opportunity to get some insight on what athletes have to endure from a psychological standpoint. During the presentation he worked with the teams on the importance of preparation before a match and how to help develop better speed of play.

In the evening the U12 boys and girls had an opportunity to train whilst the U14 girls had a game in Manchester vs a local club team called Curzon Ashton. Curzon Ashton currently plays in the Vanarama National League North which is the same league that Salford City plays in. Salford City are owned by the Class of '92 members and both Clubs are currently fighting for promotion to the Conference National League. This was a great opportunity for the players to test themselves against local opposition and I would argue it was the first time that the CAFC players played against Americans! The best part of the whole match, the sun was out and about in Manchester which is a rarity in itself. The photo below shows how much fun everyone had involved and I think the Curzon players will always remember the time Seacoast rolled into town.

Day Five - April 23rd 2017

Another morning and another breakfast down. I think the kids are going to miss the spread we have been treated to at the hotel! Yesterday was going to be tough to beat after training with MUFC legends and watching a bumper game at Huddersfield but once we told the kids we were taking them to the Cadbury's headquarters they couldn't get on the bus fast enough. I find it doesn't take much convincing when chocolate is involved. We all headed down to Birmingham (second largest city in England) which is located in the middle of the country to visit the chocolate factory. If this makes you think of Willy Wonka then you are not too far off! The kids (and parents) had a great time touring the factory and seeing how some of the best chocolate in the world is made. For the record, chocolate in the UK is so much better than chocolate back in America. We are taking orders now for those that would like some brought back.

After the visit to Cadbury the group stayed in Birmingham to see the Sunderland Ladies play Birmingham Ladies in their league. It was a great atmosphere in a cozy stadium. After the game the players signed autographs and took pictures. Beverly Leon from Mass and Columbia University plays for the Sunderland Ladies was easily the fan favorite.

Once the match finished and the sugar rush from the morning has subsided we all made our way back to Manchester. The kids brushed up on their table tennis and pool skills whilst the parents reflected on another brilliant day in England. 

Day Four - April 22nd 2017

Hard to believe we are almost halfway through the trip. The days are flying by and I would attribute that to the numerous soccer activities the kids have been doing. When you eat, sleep and play at Hotel Football you can't help but live and breath it. This place really is paradise for the soccer lover! We headed down to the Hotel Football Café and after a quick meeting the team got a chance to train on the root top pitch with Manchester United legends Paul Scholes and Phil Neville. Both of these players are members of the Class of '92 and were on the famous team that won the 1999 treble (Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League). To put that into perspective for our New England readers, it is like having Tom Brady put on a personal training session just for you. The guys were first class and it is easily the biggest highlight of the trip thus far!

After training the teams and parents went to see neighboring Huddersfield Town play Fulham from London in the English Football League (EFL) Championship. Both teams went into the match in play-off positions and with only a handful of games to go, there was a lot on the line. The match was packed full of entertainment (and goals) with Fulham securing a 4-1 win.. The Huddersfield Ladies must have heard our accents because they stopped by afterwards and took some photos with the group. Cheers ladies!

Day Three - April 21st 2017

Day 3 in Manchester started with breakfast and some team activities. After that the teams were able to visit the Manchester United Mega Store and train on the roof top pitch.

The U12 boys had their first match of the trip playing Derby County and while they lost the game it was a very memorable match for everyone.

Some of the parents that are over with their kids were able to do some sight seeing in Manchester and visit some restaurants and shops.

Day Two - April 20th 2017

Morning came thick and fast but all of the players had a spring in their step and it wasn't too much trouble getting them out of their beds. It does help to look outside your window and see one of the greatest soccer stadiums in the entire world!  The kids and parents were treated to a great breakfast and then we were off to the National Football Museum. This is a soccer lover's dream. Anything you can think of; trophies, jerseys, iconic photos, you name it and it was there. It truly was a unique experience learning the ins and outs of the beautiful game. There was an exhibition going on for the 1966 World Cup as well which is when England won the competition. All of the parents and kids had a brilliant time.

When the teams got back from the Museum they had a quick lunch and were off to training at Trafford College. For the U12 and U14 girls this was a light training session in preperation for the game against Everton Football Club later in the evening.

The high point for the day was the game for the U12 and U14 girls vs Everton Academy Girls. Everton is one of the most prestigious clubs in England with a rich history so it was a great experience for the girls. The Everton players are well aware of how good the US Women's team is and they were excited to test themselves against some American players! Although the results didn't go our way the experience was something that will live long in the memory. After the match, the players presented all of the Everton girls with Nike soccer balls and a commemorative plaque.

In the evening the players got together and watched the Europa League match between Manchester United and R.S.C Anderlecht in the Hotel Football lounge. The match was played at Old Trafford so it was quite the scene when the streets were filled with MUFC fans. The match went into overtime and MUFC won 2-1. The kids could hear the roar from the stadium when the second goal went in and 70,000 United supporters could be heard singing 'United, United, United!' All in all it was a fantastic day for our young players and they couldn't wait for what Friday had in store.