THREE Suffolk County Schools’ FA sides have reached semi-finals this season.

It is the first time that Suffolk have had more than one team progress to the last four of their competition in the same season.

The sides all compete in the South-East England School’s FA League, where they play four league matches against local counties, Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Essex and Hertfordshire.

The winners of the north regional league then play the runners-up from the south and vice versa. The winning teams play at home in the semi-final and the team that finishes in second play away.  

The three Suffolk sides will be involved in their semi-finals on Saturday, April 20th as follows:

• The U15 Boys’ side managed by Owen Hammond & Sam Burman will play away to Hampshire
• The U16 Boys’ side managed by Shane Leeks & Mark Arnold will be at home to Kent
• The U16 Girls’ side managed by Flo Harvey, Lois Balfour & Warren Lewis-Claxton will be away to Sussex

The U16 Boys will play Kent at Needham Market FC, kick-off 12 noon.  Admission will be free and all supporters are welcome.

The Suffolk County Schools' FA Under-16 Girls' team are pictured above. Main photograph: The SCSFA Under-16 Boys' team.

SCSFA Chair Robert Peace said: “I am very proud of the achievements of our U15 & U16 Boys and U16 Girls reaching the South-East England Schools’ FA Semi Finals.

“This is a great news story for Suffolk and represents the talented young players within the county.

“I congratulate the management teams of the three sides, providing high-quality coaching and management of the teams as well as establishing the correct environment for players to develop.

“As a management committee we have worked hard for many years to increase the prestige of young players representing Suffolk and the achievements of reaching the SEESFA finals will help enhance the reputation of representative football with Suffolk.”

SCSFA President Michael Hallam said: "I cannot remember it ever happening before when three of our five Suffolk County Schools’ representative squads have reached their respective semi-finals in the South-East England FA league.

“For our Under-15 boys, Under-16 girls and boys to qualify is a fantastic achievement for all the players and coaches. SCSFA are immensely proud of them all when we have won through against some much larger counties who have a much larger catchment area of players than Suffolk.

“We have been punching above ourselves for some time now and this season shows how far we have come, in the only form of county representative football.

“However, this is all under serious threat as funding for county schools’ representative football has all stopped since the pandemic. English Schools' FA grants have stopped and each county now has to become self-funding.

“This has put a lot of financial pressure on Suffolk County Schools’ FA to find funding to continue. Although we are grateful for Emirates Logistics of Felixstowe for kit sponsorship for all our squads, we still require £3,500 per season to run these five county sides for travel, training and officials etc.

“If any interested parties would like to add any financial help or sponsorship, so we can continue this success and giving these unique opportunities for players to represent Suffolk, then please email me on michael.hallam@ymail.com as it would be gratefully appreciated.”