Trials and Transfers for FC Torrevieja

THE TRANSFER window as we know it may have closed, FC Torrevieja have signed their last player for the new campaign and the new season is about to resume for the remainder of the adult leagues in Valencia.

However, for Torrevieja’s youth it’s all go as team coaches wheel and deal, parents try and move their kids around, local teams close their doors leaving many players without a team and then new kids move to town and want to become part of the action.

However, it’s all a numbers game and Torrevieja’s eight under twelve teams, as with all others of that age, are only allowed to register 15 players for each team and dress 12 for a game! For the second year Alevins, there are more than forty-five players undergoing trials for the available 30 playing spots, so a third of those trying out are going to be disappointed!

For the older boys and girls the squads are for 22 players with more than 30 trying out for each squad. While it’s true that those fifteen ‘rejected’ players could in fact make up a third squad, the logistics of pitch allocation for training and games, availability of coaches and money to pay for everything, cuts out this option.

This is the play to impress week in Torrevieja as next weekend those being offered places will be told if they are one of the chosen few or not. The others will begin looking for new teams, turn to Futbol Sala, take up another sport or just play in school.

However there is another option as one of the local success stories for local kids football is at Tony’s Soccer School and their Mil Palmeras teams.

They are also tied to the governing bodies regulation about squad size but they have an advantage over the bigger municipal teams in that if they have enough players in a certain age category, they then enter a team in the less competitive Vega Baja League, allowing more players to have the opportunity to play regular games at the weekend.

Tony’s Soccer Club has been in operation for more than 4 years appealing mainly to players from the UK and Ireland who had difficultly breaking into the Spanish system. They have youth teams going on tours to England for 2012 and welcome clubs on tour from the UK, who are preparing for their new seasons. The club offers regular training nights and are a stable club, with a solid foundation.

For the new season 2011/2012 season they have league teams of all ages entered in different competitions. Training is at Mil Palmeras for Mini Kickers of three to five years at 10:00 Sundays, followed at by those five to sixteen years of age on Sundays between 10:00 to 13:30pm and Wednesday’s 18:00 to 20.30-hrs.

They also have a Thursday training session at 18.15 at Pilar De La Horadada, for all players aged ten to sixteen years also.

The school plays under the ‘Mil Palmeras’ banner in association with the local Ayutamiento and play their home games at Pilar De La Horadada. There are excellent opportunities for girls to play and their football coaches have been with the club since almost its inception.

This is a well-organised, friendly and approachable football Club, with excellent social and community links. They also offer those over fifteen years-old the opportunity to undergo residential, player trials and assessments with ex premier league Club coaches, in England and organise a ten-week Summer camp, which this year had more than 300 players attend. 

This season they have brand new, sponsored league kits, along with a tracksuit sponsor, so all the kids will look as sharp as their professional football heroes along with their own training kits, regular player assessments, player achievement and recognition system and overall fill a much needed gap for players of all abilities and ages on the Southern Costa Blanca.

You can find out more information at www.tonys-soccer-school.net, on Facebook at ‘tonys soccer school’ or cut to the chase and speak with Tony direct on 678 955 501.

By Keith Nicol