Monthly newsletter - April 2023
Hi there,
Welcome to the April edition of my monthly newsletter where I look back on everything that has happened this month at Strive and in the world of football.
Easter training camps
We ran two football training camps over the Easter holidays, which we had a great turn out for. Good to see lots of new faces and many older familiar ones returning too! We had some cracking weather, especially in the first week and we had a great group of players.
The next half-term break is already fast approaching (where is this year going?!) which means so is the next camp. We’ll be back at Cotlandswick Leisure Centre from Tuesday 30th May - Friday 2nd June, click here to book your space.
What I’m liking at the moment
A lot has happened in the world of football this month…
Let’s start with Wrexham, most recently made famous by superstar Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchasing the club. Well, Wrexham just got promoted into the football league which officially puts them only 3 promotions away from Premier League football! Despite the fears of many Wrexham fans - the Disney Plus documentary, which charts their promotion efforts, shows that the Hollywood duo really do care about the club and its fanbase. The show is a really good, heartwarming watch!
In other promotion news, my ex-club Hashtag United - got promoted into step 3 of the non-league pyramid, which is a massive achievement. For context, they would need 3 promotions to be in the same league Wrexham have just gone into - not bad for a club that only entered the non-league pyramid in 2018!
The Premier League had arguably its biggest game of the season this past Wednesday when Arsenal faced Manchester City at the Etihad. Without trying to upset too many Arsenal fans, I think the game highlighted the fact that Man City are just that step above Arsenal at the moment. Pep Guardiola’s ability to make slight adjustments in tactics or personnel gives them an advantage that not many clubs can cope with. I should say that I think Arsenal have been amazing this season - not only have they been an absolute joy to watch but they have also made the league a close contest (which they could still win!), without them City would have run away with it by now!
Worth a watch
Hearing Kevin De Bruyne speak just after the Arsenal game gives some insight into how Pep Guardiola and Kevin himself approach games like that one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wR_9XCF89c
Ben Foster (ex Premier League goalkeeper), also known as the Cycling Goalkeeper, now plays for Wrexham and offers behind the scenes footage and wears a chest-mounted-camera in a game! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9kW_dUlTV0
Trent Alexander-Arnold has just released a ‘roundtable talk’ where he and other players discuss the academy system in England. Worth a watch for anyone who is interested in learning how the academy system works in this country: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV3sUl10ZRY
That’s it for April! As always, please let me know if you’ve got any feedback or comments!
Thanks,
Jesse