Carlisle United Football Club

Futsal course leader James Tose said: “We’re feeling very proud of ourselves and of the group. It’s been a long journey from when we started in September 2013, but it does seem like yesterday when they first walked through that door. 

“The lads all set out with the target of passing their scholarship programme when they joined us, and the interesting part was to see where the Futsal side of it would take us.

“We’ve been really successful over the two years on the pitch. We won three league titles and two Golden Boots in the respective leagues, so we come out of it really pleased with that. Off the pitch we had 15 students start with us, back in 2014, and we’ve had 12 of them make it through to their graduation.” 

“It’s really exciting for us that to be able to host this course because it was a new programme for the CST staff to get used to as well,” he explained. “Some of us had coaching experience with teams prior to the course starting, so we were able to bring that into it, but Futsal is a relatively new game and the first thing I did was set about making sure that I had learned as much as I could about the sport. 

“The game itself is very similar to how people want modern day football to be played and it’s a fantastic development tool. I’m sure all of the lads will tell you they now play quicker, faster and they’ve improved their touch markedly. It’s great for me to see that because it shows that what we’re doing with them is working.”

“Academically they leave us with a BTEC Diploma in Sport, which is the equivalent of three A Levels,” he added. “That gives them two possible exit routes. They can either go on to University, which some of them are going to do, and the other lads will take the qualifications they’ve gained and go into employment. 

“These lads have developed their knowledge and their Futsal skills but, most important as far as I’m concerned, they’ve developed as people. We’ve set them up for the rest of their lives and hopefully they’ll always remember what they did here in a positive light. 

“In the ideal world we would have got all 15 through successfully. The three who left did so because they had opportunities to get into work and earn a bit of money. That’s fine and completely understandable. 

“I can’t say enough positive things about the course and the lads who have been through it. It’s fantastically positive for the football club because we’re giving local lads opportunities in sport they possibly wouldn’t have otherwise had. Hopefully, with the new degree we will be running and with our new education suite, we’ll be able to reach out to even more people as we go on from here.

Graduate Robbie Elliott said: “This course has been better than I expected it to be. Futsal wise we had some really good success in the league and cup competitions and it’s been a really good experience. 

“The good thing is that it hasn’t just been about the Futsal. The education programme has given us the opportunity to go on and do anything to do with sport. It’s a great set of qualifications to come out of it with. I’m going to use it to help me to go down the sports coaching route. 

“The other good thing for me is that the course has really brought me out of my shell. I was quite a nervous lad when I started two years ago but I’ve grown out of that and I’ve become a loud leader. I’d definitely recommend it to everyone because it really is very enjoyable.”

For more information on the Futsal and Education Scholarship give our CST team a call on 01228 554 169 or email then on fitc@carlisleunited.co.uk