Story added: 7th May 2026

Football Development Programme enjoy action-packed Easter in Manchester

More than 50 young players from the Foundation’s Football Development Programme enjoyed an unforgettable Easter, with back-to-back football tours in Manchester that mixed high-level fixtures, stadium visits and plenty of team bonding. 

The group from our Girls Development Programme, made up of 25 players from U10 to U12, travelled in week one and based themselves at Hotel Football. They faced Liverpool’s Emerging Talent Centre at the Liverpool Academy, Burnley’s ETC and Ella Toone’s ET7 Academy, giving them a fantastic opportunity to test themselves against strong opposition in the North West. 

The boys followed in week two, with U9 to U12 players taking part. Their tour opened with a lively 7-a-side tournament hosted by York City, featuring York, Aston Villa FDS and Leeds United. Day two brought a set of 5-a-side fixtures against Wigan Athletic at the Wigan Athletic Academy, before the group finished with a trip to the Etihad Campus to face Manchester City. 

Away from the pitch, the groups enjoyed fantastic experiences including a visit to Ninja Warrior UK and a Street Soccer session at Yard Ball Sheffield. There were also guided tours of Anfield and visits to Old Trafford and the Etihad, giving the players the chance to explore some of the most famous football venues in the country.