The AFC Youth Academy U13s and U14 sides made the trip to Oakham School near Leicester from 3rd-6th August to play a number of friendly fixtures.

Oakham is a private school set in lovely surroundings with fantastic facilities and the players stayed in a boarding house with the schools pitches nearby.  This is the seventh year in a row the Club has made the trip south to play in the festival which is organised by Tom Statham a coach with Manchester United who manages to attract  top class opposition for the event.

It was an action packed 4 days with both Aberdeen teams playing three games on the Monday against Derby County, Bristol Rovers and Birmingham City.  Tuesday saw both squads play three matches against Sheffield Utd, Peterborough and Leicester City, before finishing off on Wednesday with two matches against Moss-To-Takt a Norwegian regional side and Dunfermline United before embarking on the long journey back to Aberdeen.

Special thanks to the coaches who travelled with the party who did an excellent job with the squads; Willie Sutherland,Shaun Beattie, Grant Colligan and Scott Duncan and Physio Jason Oliveria who looked after the players bumps and bruises on the trip and also delivered the recovery sessions in the swimming pool every evening.   A special thanks as well goes to Stuart Glennie, the SFA Performance coach at Hazelhead Academy, who also travelled down to watch the players who attend the School and help out.

The Head of Youth Academy Neil Simpson watched both squads, “These trips are an important part of our young players development.  Playing against different opposition and competing well against high calibre sides was very pleasing. All in all it was a great trip as the Under 13s and u14s squads prepare for the new season.”