Logo

Children’s football teams in Twickenham

We Make Footballers
04 April 2022

Have you got a football mad child who is ready to begin their journey towards becoming the next Eden Hazard or Virgil van Dijk?

If so, then now might be the time to get them signed up to their first football team and weekly training sessions.

Choosing the right club for your child can be a daunting task. At a young age, it isn’t so much about winning but more about developing as a player, building fundamentals, learning the game and above all else, having fun.

With that in mind, here are three football teams in the Twickenham area who can help your child begin their footballing journey.

NPL Youth Football Club

NPL are an FA Charter Standard Youth Club who run teams for children aged between 7 and 18 in Teddington. They have twice been named the Middlesex FA Charter Standard Community Club of the year and are a partner club of Queens Park Rangers in the Community Trust.

NPL also have a partnership with the We Make Footballers Twickenham Academy. Players who join NPL but are too young, beginners or need a little bit of work on certain aspects of their game are recommended to We Make Footballers, who run sessions on Wednesday evenings for girls and Saturday mornings for children of all ages and abilities.

Each year WMF hold a trial for NPL and create a new U7’s (under seven’s side) for the club. We Make Footballers are based at Orleans Park School in Twickenham and led by FA Qualified Coaches with the aim being to provide a fun and safe environment in which children can develop their football. You can try a session free of charge by registering here.

Going the other way, those players who have enrolled with the We Make Footballers Twickenham Academy and who are ready to join a team are recommended to NPL. It’s a relationship that not only keeps both NPL and We Make Footballers strong, but it is also hugely beneficial to the development of young players as well.

Twickenham Tigers

Twickenham Tigers run several youth teams across the area who compete in the Surrey Youth League, the Surrey Primary League and the East Berkshire Football Alliance. Just like NPL, they are also an FA Charter Standard Club who offer players the chance to have fun and improve their football in an organised and friendly environment.

The Tigers’ philosophy is to be competitive but without a win-at-all-costs mentality, to create lasting friendships throughout the local community, to help players develop at their own pace and to be fully inclusive. They place a huge emphasis on the FA’s Respect campaign, but above all else the aim is to make football fun and to ensure that players have smiles on their faces before, during and after matches.

Hearts of Teddlothian

Since their founding in 2007, Hearts of Teddlothian have grown to become one of the biggest grassroots football clubs in the Twickenham area. They now have a thriving junior section with boys’ and girls’ teams, a mini section, and adult section and even a veterans’ team – and how they got there is quite the story.

The club started out life as a group of parents and their children from Sacred Heart School in Teddington meeting up on Broom Road Rec every Saturday morning to kick a ball around and have a catch up.

One summer, the majority of the children went for trials with an established local club. Six or seven got in but there were around eight or nine who missed out. With both parents and kids fearing that their football friendships would fade away as the children splintered off to different teams, they instead decided to form their own club.

Because of the experience of being rejected after trials, Hearts don’t run trials for new players. Every child is welcome regardless of ability. By the end of their first season Hearts had over 150 players, and every time they run out of room on a team they simply find a willing parent, give them a set of cones and some balls, and set up another side. It’s that inclusivity that has fed Hearts’ stunning growth. If you are looking for a club who will welcome any child regardless of their ability level, then Hearts are a solid bet.

West London is a fantastic football environment, full with clubs of all levels and open to players of all ages. With so many options available in Twickenham, there are opportunities for everyone in the local football scene.