54 Trialists – A Fantastic Start for APD’s Welling Post-16 Programme
A fantastic response, exciting football and the beginning of something special.
Advance Player Development (APD) has enjoyed a hugely positive response to its October trial days for the 2027/28 Welling School Post-16 Football Programme, with 54 players attending across two sessions.
The trial days provided an opportunity for players to experience the coaching environment, meet the team and get a feel for what our Welling Academy has to offer, as we continue to build and develop the programme.
TWO SUCCESSFUL TRIAL DAYS
Our first trial took place at Welling School on Wednesday 21 October, attracting 25 players.
We followed this with a second session at Danson Sports on Friday 30 October, welcoming a further 29 trialists, including four goalkeepers.
It was particularly encouraging to see interest from students at Welling and other local schools, demonstrating the potential to attract new students into Post-16 education alongside an ambitious football development programme.
A TASTE OF THE APD COACHING EXPERIENCE
The second trial day began with a presentation from Harry Watling, introducing players to the programme's ambitions and explaining what they could expect from the football environment.
Players then took part in a series of specialist coaching stations, led by members of the APD coaching team:
Harry Watling – Playing Forward
Lee Gear – Crossing & Finishing
Michael Bellamy – Brilliant Basics
Robbie Coulston – 2v2 Box Game
Neale Manning – Goalkeeper-Specific Training
