Barcelona 2017 – Football and Netball Development Tour

Mr M Ellis, Teacher of PE/Head of Year 8
April 25, 2017

On Saturday 8th April, 3 teams from Cornelius Vermuyden School embarked on the long-awaited tour to Barcelona. After a gruelling 25 hour coach journey, the U16 boys’ and U15 girls’ football teams together with the U16 netball team finally arrived in Spain, the winners of 2 European Football Championships and the FIFA World Cup in the last decade.

The first full day was spent in Barcelona, beginning with a wonderful tour of the famous Camp Nou, home to Barcelona FC. Our students learned about the history of arguably the most famous football club in the world. Most students enjoyed seeing the trophy room and, for many, it was perhaps the only opportunity to see close up the magnificent UEFA Champions League trophy. We walked down the tunnel, emerging into the 100,000 seater stadium and sat in the dugout where legends such as Johann Cruyff, Diego Maradona and, more recently, Lionel Messi, have plotted the downfall of many opposition teams.

After the stadium tour was completed, it was time for a walk along Las Ramblas to enjoy the amazing shopping district, finishing at the stunning marina where the multi-million pound yachts of the rich and famous are moored.

The girls’ football team played in the first fixture of the tour against a local Spanish team and, although we played exceptionally well, we lost 3 – 0 to the “best team we have ever played”. The match was a great learning experience which proved to be the catalyst for a very successful tour. All 3 teams spent the next 2 days training and the quality of the coaching was excellent. Indeed, the coaches were very impressed with the effort and application of all Cornelius students.

The boys’ football team was next, captained by Jordan Lewis. Having fallen 2 – 0 down after just 5 minutes, the team battled back, narrowly losing 2 – 1 after a great individual goal by Finley Hall, the highlight of a tough match!

Wednesday was Tournament Day and the Cornelius teams were very successful. The netball team captained by top scorer Ellana Woodley narrowly lost their final by one goal. Miss Keeble and Miss Thomas could not fault the girls, with several playing through the pain barrier after picking up injuries, and the level of disappointment of the defeat shows what it means to represent our school. Jade Lambert-Foster was named Player of the Tournament. The boys’ football team also finished runners up in the tournament and the pride in the school shown by the boys was second to none, according to Mr Purkiss and Mr Durrance. The boys worked tirelessly and with Charlie Williams keeping 3 clean sheets, the boys were incredibly hard to break down.

The girls’ football team recovered from their previous loss and went on to win their tournament. Despite the extreme heat, they outclassed the opposition and were able to show everything they had worked on in training. It was just like watching Barcelona! The girls showed just what good players they are and Millie Hawkins was voted Player of the Tournament.

The final day was spent at the PortAventura theme park and everyone enjoyed the rides, apart from Mr Durrance who appeared a little scared. After the theme park, we returned to our hotel for the last meal prior to returning home. Our students were an absolute credit to Cornelius Vermuyden School at all times. Their behaviour both on and off the field of play was outstanding and it was a pleasure to share this amazing experience with such a wonderful group of students.

Mr M Ellis, Teacher of PE/Head of Year 8