We Make Footballers are passionate about developing the ability and talent of every player that walks through our doors, Whether a child is playing with us for training with us for fun, or to progress into football clubs through the pathways we provide, our playing style is able to cater to every individual child's needs.

We love hearing feedback from parents about their child's journey with We Make Footballers, and were delighted to receive the story of The Peacock Triumvirate - three powerful siblings, who all began their football journeys with us.

Read the success story of the sibling footballers below, as narrated by their mother.

Team Peacock’ - otherwise known as Dad, Mum, Finn, Niamh and Bradán all had their love of football encouraged, supported & enhanced massively through our association with We Make Footballers.

FINN

Finn started with WMF when he was nearly 5. He was a very shy and unassuming little boy who found it hard to find his voice. He spent the first four sessions at the Green School (Isleworth) in tears but was adamant he wanted to continue and return week on week. As his parents, we continually questioned if we were doing the right thing (especially one very cold week where he got the ball full on in the face which took him off his feet and Sean was the first coach to get to him to lift him up and make all the encouraging coach-like comments & offer him supportive words). Skip on 7 years & this little shy & reticent boy is almost unrecognisable! He’s played at Isleworthian’s FC (formerly Old Isleworthian’s Youth FC) for the past 6 seasons, has made massive improvements individually and as part of a great team, and has also spent the last season training at Brentford’s Player Development Centre. His love of football has grown & grown & this is in no small part due to the training, coaching & encouragement he received regularly whilst attending the WMF sessions, and being a regular attendee at the WMF holiday camps. He has made it into the football and rugby A Teams at his secondary school (SRRCC) and currently assists his dad with coaching the first all-girls team for Isleworthian’s FC - U8’s Girls. Whatever the future holds for ‘FJ’ we are sure that football will always be a major part of it. What he may have initially lacked in lightness of foot and skills in the early years he’s definitely improved upon in the latter ones! Thank you to all the devoted & exceptional coaches at WMF!

 

NIAMH

Niamh started life watching her bigger brother Finn kick a football around & was a regular attendee at all Finn’s WMF training sessions & eventual matches with Old I’s. As parents, we attempted to encourage her down the ballet route and eventually the Irish genes got a look in when she started Irish dancing. Unfortunately (for Mum) Niamh developed ball skills watching Finn and, one summer in her 5th year of life, whilst in Ireland sheltering from yet ANOTHER torrential grass-drenching ‘shower’ in an indoor play area, she asked if she could play football in a cage with her older brother. Mum’s reply “absolutely”, Dad’s reply “get her out of there the bigger lads will flatten her...!”. She remained inside the cage (her choice!) and not only did she not get flattened but, with her brother’s help, she ran rings around a few of the ‘bigger lads’, to which dad replied “better have a chat with Sean when we get home & get Niamh signed up to WMF”. Signed up to the sessions she was and with a lot of ‘encouragement’ from Sean & then Iuri, we agreed to allow her to attend a Chelsea FC Talent ID session aged 5 & a half years old. Although she was too young for the U7’s team Chelsea were keen for her to attend their weekly sessions & there she remained for a season & a half until she trialed for Arsenal ladies U9’s player development centre two seasons ago after parting company with Chelsea Ladies. Last season she successfully made it into the U10’s at Arsenal (thankfully without having the stress of having to trial as it may have finished Dad off!!?) and has spent the last season having the most immense experiences, including recently returning from a tournament in Crolles (France) and being selected to represent Arsenal U10’s as a Diana Foundation Anti-Bullying Ambassador (who will be attending a Premier League Conference towards the end of January 2018). Whatever the future has in store for ‘Noodle’ (as she’s known at home and often hears from the sidelines!) we are confident in the knowledge that her resilience wall is strong and will be continually challenged we are sure, that she will continue to love football and be passionate about playing the sport, and that two of her staunchest sideline supporters will continue to be her elder brother Finn & her younger brother Bradán (as well as kit washers/taxi drivers Mum & Dad!). The encouragement and support she received from WMF and playing alongside boys week in and week out (U7’s to U9’s at Old I’s) definitely made her the player she is today & hopefully she’ll continue to develop & grow as an accomplished footballer.

BRADÁN

The youngest of our brood Bradán wasn’t too sure what he wanted to do but Saturday mornings definitely had to include footy training at WMF - well he’d watched both his older siblings become more & more excited each morning getting into a footy kit. Sadly for Bradán, he was struck down with a condition aged 4yrs old but neither he nor the WMF coaches were going to allow this to slow down his progression or learning of skills & team play. Bradán joined Old I’s at U7’s & has played most weeks (health allowing) with keenness and determination! His attempts to improve & willingness to keep working despite how much (or little) energy he had didn’t go unnoticed and he was given awards at two WMF holiday camps by the lovely coaches involved. Like his two elder siblings he is mainly defensively minded on the pitch and as WMF play children in all outfield positions, he will undoubtedly find moving forwards on the pitch easier the more often he does it within his grassroots team. Whatever the future holds for ‘Bop’ (health permitting) we are so grateful for the inclusivity of the WMF coaching staff and their insistence that everyone IS a footballer - which has often been enough to keep Bradán going on his lowest days.

 

Back For The Holidays

As a family, we are so grateful for the association we have had over the last 7 years with WMF. Although our three no longer are able to attend their weekly sessions (timetabling is a major issue in our house nowadays!), the lure of the weekly holiday camps is always there and we are confident in the knowledge that our children will always be welcomed back during the holidays to receive the same high quality and inspirational coaching they were lucky enough to have had in the past!