Morecambe’s u17s are in action this evening, as they face Huddersfield Town AFC in the first fixture of their Rossall Cup campaign.
The competition, organised by Rossall School from Fleetwood, offers competitive mid-week action for youngsters from the Shrimps’ academy set-up.
Morecambe will play in a league format against Huddersfield Town, Oldham Athletic, Blackpool, Fleetwood Town and Rossall School, with the top four progressing to the Semi-Finals.
Academy Manager Stewart Drummond welcomes the opportunity to get more competitive game time for his young players, he said:“This is the an age group we have looked at putting more energy into, giving more game time to first year scholars and mixing with the current under 16s, who are hoping to become scholars themselves next season.
“We have been working on the transition from academy football to under 18s, to make it a smoother step, by mixing the under 16s and 17s more often in training sessions. Between this competition and the Clarets Cup organised by Burnley that we have also entered, this gives the next cohort of scholars the chance to play together in competitive fixtures.”
Drummond is clear on the benefits ahead of the cup opener against the Terriers. he added: “As we transition to more internal recruitment for our scholars, this allows us extra time to work with our current under 16s, get to know them better and prepare them for the step to youth team football.”
Follow @ShrimpsAcademy for updates from the academy.