In the April school holidays, thirty-four boys and four staff jetted off to England for two weeks of non-stop football. Stepping straight off the plane, we headed to the Den in South London to watch Millwall play Cardiff, followed by West Ham vs Fulham the next day at the London Olympic Stadium. While in London we trained at the world-class Fulham, West Ham, and Tottenham facilities, and toured the Emirates, Tottenham, and Stamford Bridge stadiums.
Our group comprised an Opens team and a combined U16s team. Both teams won their opening matches against Beaconsfield Town FC, who play in the 7th division of English football. Games against the historic Chigwell School followed, where the Opens drew and the U16s team won. During the week in London, we also visited Buckingham Palace, The Mall, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Oxford Street, and Leicester Square.
