Day 1 – Thursday
On Thursday 24th October, 24 YR9&10 students embarked on the 2024 Football Tour. Porto was the destination this year, the trip started with a very early morning for a coach journey down to London Gatwick where we would catch an early morning flight to allow us the whole day in Portugal to begin the tour. All students were fantastically behaved considering it was a long day and lots of travelling. As soon as we arrived in Portugal, the football started with a training session led by our FC Porto coaches at a local football club with a beautiful back drop. A session focussed on pressing as a team and winning the ball back as soon as possible kick started the students’ football experiences for the trip and it was loved by everyone with the coaches really engaging all students and ensuring fun was had by everyone.
The students then had the privilege of going to the FC Porto ground to watch a Europa League fixture against Hoffenheim FC from Germany, the opportunity to watch a professional football match in a different country was a spectacle and what an atmosphere that was created by both sets of fans. We saw some brilliant football and all were of course FC Porto fans for the night so were very happy when they secured a 2-0 victory. The students even picked up on some of the anthems and started joining in with the singing. A fantastic ending to Day 1 of the trip.
Day 2 – Friday
On Friday, the students enjoyed a well deserved lie in and more of a relaxed morning at the fantastic hotel facilities, enjoying some pool, table tennis and relaxing time by the pool or at the beach.
We then travelled to our second training session at lunchtime which was focussing on using the wide areas of the pitch as much as possible and utilising this space. Again another fantastic facility from a local football club and the FC Porto coaches were once again outstanding.
We then had evening games against local Portuguese opposition under the floodlights at a fantastic little local ground. The boys team went first and they were absolutely outstanding, their work rate and togetherness throughout the game considering they had never played as a squad before was brilliant. They mixed really well as two year groups and communicated fantastically, this was led really well by Collins (YR10) who was named player of the match after a brick wall like defensive display with nobody getting beyond him and showed great presence and was a role model to the whole of the team.
It was then the turn of the girls with some who had never played a competitive football match before this, so it was a brilliant experience for all of them. They did not stop going for the whole of the match showing excellent resilience and willingness to not back down to the Portuguese opposition. Goals during the game came from Hannah and Tara who were brilliant and a special shoutout to Kanchal (YR9) who had never played football before but was absolutely brilliant in this game showing a real willingness to be the best she could be for the team.
Day 3 – Saturday
Saturday was a very busy day in terms of football and a double training session day which was giving the students an experience of the life of a professional footballer which was part of the aims of the trip. The morning training session was a real focus on shooting which was very competitive and all students wanting to score lots of goals. These sessions were really well ran by the coaches with lots of opportunities for the students to have success and chance to even perform their best celebration when they scored.
We then travelled to a Portuguese restaurant which was a Wok style buffet which all thoroughly deserved and it was well earnt after working hard in the morning session but also needing fuel for the afternoon session.
The afternoon session was held at a university campus and was the final session of the trip for the students meaning lots of different fun small games ran by the coaches which was well received by the students with loads of fun and competition against one another.
Once we got back to the hotel, the students then had a bit of downtime using the facilities where some pool & table tennis tournaments went on.
Day 4 – Sunday
The Sunday of the trip and the penultimate day so a morning of sightseeing around the wonderful city of Porto. The sun even came out for the students on this day to make the views even more breathtaking, we all enjoyed strolls round the city taking in some of the local delicacies and a relax before the second games of the trip in the afternoon.
We travelled across to another local football club to take on two different teams in our final fixture of the trip. The girls were up first this time and once again showed great character and lots of improvement from the last game to have a real positive performance and game to end the football on the trip for them. Tara smashed a penalty home in the second half and she picked up player of the match for this one with non stop running and motivating her team-mates. She even had the opportunity to play for the boys teams afterwards which she deserved after some quality performances across the whole of the trip.
The boys were then up and they also showed great improvement in this second game and managed to pick up a 4-1 victory which they were ecstatic about to finish the trip. Some fantastic goals from Hayden, Rio, Aleks and Collins capped off a brilliant team performance. Hayden was named player of the match as his quality on the pitch was the real difference, he covered every blade of grass on the pitch and produced some real quality build up play and assists for the other lads along with a fantastic goal that he definitely deserved to finish off his experience.
We then ventured back to the hotel where it was the night of bowling and lots of mini competitions in each lane with different sets of students. We had 4 winners, with those being Rio Megan Kai and Mariah who showed fantastic skill and adaption to different conditions in Portuguese bowling. However we must say, nobody managed to beat Mr Webb at bowling (a reign the students will definitely hear more about).
Day 5 – Monday
The final day of the trip saw it come to a close in a spectacular manner. We got the opportunity to have a behind the scenes tour of the museum and stadium of FC Porto which was fantastic. The students managed to go into the changing rooms, pitch side and in the dugouts along with sitting where the president of Porto sits with the best view in the stadium. Before our VIP lunch, the students had chance to buy any memorabilia they wanted from the club shop and be able to remember the trip when they got home with either an FC Porto shirt with their name on the back or a scarf they can wear.
Final bit of the tour was a VIP Lunch in the President’s box which is where the President and all the players eat their meals on matchday and whenever they are in the stadium. Another unique fantastic opportunity we were lucky to experience on our trip and really topped the trip off well. The FC Porto coaches then presented everyone with a certificate out in the seats looking out on the pitch which was a fantastic touch to finish our contact with them. Finally, we then presented our bowling winners and player of the matches with some memorabilia for themselves so they can look back on the tour with great fondness and something to remember it with.
Another football tour complete and another impeccable one. All students were a credit to themselves and enjoyed themselves thoroughly. We look forward to seeing where Mr Webb and Inspiresport take us next time in a couple of years. Watch this space YR7&8!
