On Sunday, we had the friendly internal competition between four U6 teams - two from the Isleworth Academy and two from the Chiswick Academy. Usually the teams are chosen in April, but the coaches felt the quality of both the players and coaching was so high that the teams could be chosen much earlier. This encouraged the friendly games to take place much earlier. The level of football played was amongst the highest that has ever been experienced at both these academies, and both academy managers were very impressed with the standard displayed.

The two Isleworth vs. Chiswick games were very evenly matched and there were outstanding performances on both teams. Some of the players from both sides are already training with professional clubs, and we suspect more will be joining them in the near future. We also saw some lovely individual goals, and some brilliant ball skills.

Having four such evenly matched teams from both Chiswick and Isleworth shows the level of coaching across the academies is consistent and evenly spread. As well as this, this is the most number of teams we have ever been able to put together in one age group, which just shows how well the players are developing.

It was also lovely to see everyone in their bright new kits, with all the players acting professionally and playing to the best of their ability. The games were very enjoyable to watch and the high quality displays the level of commitment the children have to both their training and their club.

Despite the high quality of the games, it doesn't necessarily mean the team lists are fixed - there will still be movement and more opportunities for other players. Especially now with the standard level set, there will be many more games to come with other U6 teams from now until the summer.

We're all looking forward to the summer already!