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HITCHIN TOWN YOUTH – MID-TERM REPORT 2008/09

Tuesday, January 6 2009

Hitchin Town Youth football continues to go from strength to strength. Over 250 players are registered for the 2008/09 season and 18 teams compete in the Royston Crow and Eastern Junior Alliance.

Teams are flourishing in the Mini-Soccer leagues. 14 boys have made their debut for the club at U7 level and have already gelled together and forged a strong team spirit. There was a healthy retention rate at U8 level and a 16-strong squad has supplied two sides in the top two divisions of this age-level. With a year of mini-soccer under their belts, the boys play with great spirit, considerable flair and increasing confidence.

At U10 level, the Hawks lie in mid-table with 13 points from their first ten games. It is a very competitive league and very congested – a string of New Year wins could see them march up the table. The Harriers are having a fantastic season and began 2009 three points clear at the top, having lost just once in 10 games.

At U11 level, the A team have had a difficult start to 11-a-side life and lie second from bottom of Division 2. They remain within touching distance of the teams above them so a run of wins will catapult them up the table. The U11 Tigers are flourishing in Division 3. They are 7 points clear at the top with only 1 defeat in 11.

U12 Thunder have built on their promotion of last season and have established themselves as one of the top teams in Division 1 this year. They began 2009 in fifth place, only 6 points off the pace-setters. U12 Lightning are also in 5th place in Division 3 having notched 8 wins in 11 games – they are only 3 points off top spot.

The U13 Hitchin Town Cove lie just below mid-table after a mixed first half of the season and will need to pick up early points in 2009 in order to pull away from the teams below them.

The U14s have had an exceptional season so far and lie second after winning 8 out of 9 so far. They have two games in hand on leaders Herts Rangers and will leap-frog them if they take maximum points from the these games.

The two U15s teams have had a mixed and fitful first half of the season. The Colts have picked up 7 points from 7 games and lie in 7th spot in Division 1. They will need to step up the points-to-game ratio to pull clear of relegation. In Division 2, the Youth team are similarly placed after collecting 12 points from 11 games so far.

The U16s are handily placed in 4th spot in the Eastern Junior Alliance League. It is a very tight league and only 4 points separate the top six sides. The U17s lie just below half-way in Division 1, with 11 points from 10 games.