Up for the cup, and then up for the cup again: Riddlesdown look to be penalised for their success by having to play back-to-back finals
Riddlesdown Collegiate’s under-15s might be the best football team of their age in the country – but English schools football bosses have presented them with the daunting task of playing two end-of-season finals within 14 hours later this month.
The English Schools’ Football Association’s scheduling of the finals of two competitions, both to be played at Stoke City’s home ground, has raised serious welfare safeguarding issues for the physical well-being of the young Riddlesdown squad.
The Croydon secondary’s footballers have won the right to play in the ESFA EA Sports FC Futures Boys’ Under-15 Schools’ Cup, which attracted entries from 663 schools nationwide, as well as the ESFA EA Sports FC Futures Boys’ Under-15 Elite Schools’ Cup.
In the Cup competition, schools may field a maximum of three players who are registered with a professional club academy. In the Elite Schools’ Cup, there are no restrictions on the calibre of players used in the teams.
In the Elite Schools’ Cup, Riddlesdown are due to face a side from the north-east, St Joseph’s RC Academy, South Tyneside, on Thursday, May 21, with a 5.30pm kick-off.
The Schools’ Cup final then kicks off at 9.30am on Friday, May 22, with Riddlesdown expected to play again, this time against Gloucester school St Peter’s High School.
Both matches are to be played at the Bet365 Stadium.
Riddlesdon have described the timetable as “bizarre”.
“We asked for greater spacing between the two matches to allow the players adequate recovery time and to give them the best possible chance of giving their best in both finals,” said Paul Langan, Riddlesdown’s director of sport.
“While we respect the competition organisers and their thinking that for travel, accommodation and logistics it was better to play both games close together, this presents a significant challenge for the boys.”
Well-schooled: Riddlesdown pupil Kieran Gibbs went on to play for Arsenal and England
Riddlesdown was once the school of supermodel Kate Moss, but it has also schooled some outstanding footballers, including West Ham and Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker and Kieran Gibbs, the Arsenal and England full-back.
More recently, Riddlesdown was the school of David Ozoh, the England youth international who is this season playing with Championship side Derby County, on loan from Crystal Palace.
But no Riddlesdown team has ever before managed to make two cup finals, as the Class of ’26 has done.
This year, Riddlesdown’s journey to both finals has been remarkable, winning 13 consecutive matches in normal time, scoring 54 goals and conceding just 13.
“The boys have come close in the past, with quarter-final and semi-final appearances in these competitions,” Langan said.
“But this year they’ve really gelled. The commitment, dedication and progression they’ve shown over the last four years together as a team has been deservedly rewarded with this terrific run to the two finals. I’m so pleased for them and their parents who have been so supportive of them on this journey.
“The team now stands on the brink of an extraordinary achievement. Victory in both finals would mark a historic double and cement their place in the school’s sporting history. The scheduling adds an extra and unique challenge we could have done without.”
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