Manchester City’s charity, City in the Community (CITC), Connell College BTEC girls’ team competed in the Community and Education Alliance League final at the Bet 365 stadium in Stoke.
[
Club News
“It’s such a good opportunity for young people” - CITC hosts football tournament for future BTEC students](https://www.mancity.com/news/club/citc-manchester-city-host-btec-tournament-63881185)
The Connell College team travelled down to the competition on the Manchester City first team bus with City stars Lauren Hemp, Vivienne Miedema and Laura Wienroither surprising them with a special send off.
SEE VIDEO ABOVE
Unfortunately, the team did not get the result they hoped for, losing on penalties after a 2-2 draw against Swindon Town.
However, Community Coach, Emily Stocks, spoke about how just getting to the final was a huge achievement for them.
“The girls did really well to get to the final, as they played some really challenging teams and games on the lead up to the final, playing second in the league whilst balancing scholarship trips and their studies,” Emily said.
“It has demonstrated their cohesion as a team and the dedication to each other, coaches and the football, all whilst balancing everything off the pitch. They have been a pleasure to work with.”
One player, Charlotte, spoke about her experience getting to the final: “Being in the final itself was an experience alone, we didn’t have an easy journey to get here but we knew we were capable.”
“We kept each other encouraged throughout, and that is something not every team has. We’re not just a team, we’re a family.
“In the end it wasn’t the result we hoped for, but we all stuck together through it which is special.
Another player, Ruby also spoke about the day:
“It was an experience we probably won’t get again, playing on that pitch, it probably doesn’t get much better.
“We’ll always have that feeling of bringing it back to 2-2 after being down 2-0, so that what’s were going to take away with us, making it to penalties after it not looking very promising at half-time.”
11+ Education Manager, Jonathan Pauly, spoke about the team’s accomplishment, making it all the way to the final, saying: “The girls have done really well the make it to the final, they’ve worked hard all year. And they got to play in a Premier League Stadium so it’s a massive achievement for the team.”
“They got to travel down on the Manchester City bus, so they’ve all had a really good day.”
Jonathan also went to explain why it was important for the whole programme:
“Days like this show that there are so many opportunities on the BTEC programme. It was amazing seeing them on the pitch, and this is exactly why we put the programme in place,” he added.
CITC’s BTEC course is delivered in colleges across Greater Manchester, offering places to both male and female participants without trails.
The programme provides an opportunity for students who are passionate about football and their education, to combine to two as part of this course.
Email [email protected] for more information.
City in the Community empowers healthier lives with city youth through football.
To find out more, visit https://www.mancity.com/city-in-the-community/healthy-futures/city-btec or follow @citcmancity.