Youngsters invited back for more trials with LA Galaxy

11:36am Thursday 23rd August 2007

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WHEN Rancell UK took a squad of young players to the United States for assessment by David Beckham's LA Galaxy club five of them were invited back next February for further trials and all squad members were offered places at American colleges.

The Rancell squad played seven games in 12 days winning three, losing three and drawing one.They trained every day for two to four hours, in heat in excess of 33 degrees.

Most of the games were played on artificial turf and it was a big learning curve for the players having to perform in a different climate.

The squad also got to meet Hollywood stars such as Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham as well as being Galaxy's guests at their game against Chelsea.

Tour manager Wayne Priestley said: "I am very very proud of the performance and conduct of most of the team on and off the field. We did have some discipline problems with one or two players but this did not affect the players who really wanted this trip to work out for them.

"The very small minority who chose not to conform to our behaviour rules paid the penalty as Galaxy watched every move, on and off the field, and it cost one player the chance of being invited back by Galaxy.

"We had some success out there as our coach Tom Butcher has been offered a coaching job with LA Galaxy and five of my players have been asked to go back in February. Galaxy will pick up all expenses apart from flights for Si Kirsima , who came through the youth system at Guiseley and last season played for Yorkshire Amateurs; John Butcher of Sandy Lane FC; Aaron Hollindrake and Tom Dibb of Silsden AFC who have since joined Guiseley AFC, and Jamie Duffy of Guiseley AFC."

Striker Si Kirsima, a student at Sheffield University, was offered a first team contract with Miami FC but unfortunately he could not proceed with this as they have too many overseas players on their books but the door has been left open for him. The rest of the team were offered places at colleges across LA.

Priestley added: "I would like to thank the squad as it was a pleasure and an honour to be associated with them. I hope the next squad I take out to LA are just as professional on and off the field as the Rancell UK trailblazers were. We are organising trials in the north and the south of England for the next trip as there has been so much interest from players."

Out of the trip came the idea to form and run a Rancell team in a local league. They were too late to join a Saturday league but were accepted by the Wharfedale Sunday League which then folded.

Rancell along with a handful of other teams from that league have been accepted into the Bradford Sunday Alliance and they will operate from Esholt Sports Club on Sunday mornings.

An indication of their quality is that in a pre-season friendly last Sunday at Victoria Eagles, who will operate in a higher division than them, they won 10-4.