In the realm of football, the voyage from the innocence of junior football to the intensity of senior competition is a pivotal journey that sculpts players and defines clubs. At Clifton All Whites/Clifton FC, this transition isn't just a procedural step; it's a meticulously planned pathway reshaping the footballing landscape.

Boasting an impressive 20 junior sides, 5 youth sides and 2 girls teams, Clifton has laid the foundation for a system where junior players naturally evolve into the youth setup. However, the club identified a common hurdle faced by many youth teams – the absence of a bridge to senior football. As players approach the under-16/17 age group, the traditional path often fades away.

In response, the senior management team at Clifton implemented a strategic move by introducing an under-18s team, acting as a bridge, facilitating a smoother transition from youth football to the senior game, specifically step 6 football.

The initial season of the under-18s has been nothing short of remarkable. Formed in the summer of 2023, the team has dominated the Leicestershire Floodlit League. With an impressive league position at 1st, having played 10 games; won 9, and lost only 1, they have showcased their prowess on the field. The team's top goal scorer, Joseph Biryomasho, has led the charge with 6 goals from 8 starts.

The defence has been solid, securing 5 clean sheets, and conceding only 10 goals in total. As they continue to defy expectations, the future looks promising for these young talents.

In a bid to gain comprehensive perspectives on the ongoing sports season, our team engaged in a conversation with both the under-18's management team and their senior counterparts. This dual approach aimed to capture a holistic view of the current season's progress and shed light on the upcoming stages for the Under-18's team.

Our discussions delved into the unique challenges and triumphs faced by the budding talents under the guidance of the under 18's management team. Simultaneously, we sought the seasoned insights of the seniors management team to understand the broader implications and strategic considerations for the entire squad.

The responses we received provided valuable insights into the dynamics at play within the teams. From reflections on individual player performances to overarching strategies, the perspectives shared by both management teams painted a vivid picture of the season's narrative.

As the season progresses, the input from both sides will undoubtedly contribute to our evolving understanding of the team's journey.

First up we approached Jamie to give an introduction and also outline his playing career to date

" I go by the name of Willo but my actual name for most that probably won’t know is Jamie Williamson, I began playing football when I was 7 years old at Carlton Town with Janade Akhter & Anthony Spencer (the current Clifton FC first team manager). I have been with playing under Spen (Anthony Spencer) for a large amount of my life now (14 years). We were very successful at Carlton Town, winning countless amounts of trophies (league titles, cups, ACES tournament, regional cups & even travelling to Holland to win the national tournament).

We then left Carlton Town & moved over to Real United where we again we continued our success winning more trophies & tournaments. Spen had a very talented team with a group of players who were eager to win everything & anything! When I was moving into u15s, Spen created his own club along with Janade Akhter & Caudette Owen where we continued our success, winning tournaments In Huddersfield & reaching cup finals on a consistent basis.

I moved into men’s football at the age of 17, playing for Nottingham FC’s first team in the Central Midlands League where we narrowly missed out from winning the league to St Joseph’s Rockware.

After spending a season in the Central Midlands, Spen made the decision to take the team to Ilkeston Town with fantastic facilities & we competed in the Notts Senior League Prem Division… Nally & co at Ilkeston are very good people & have set the standard for step 3 football in terms of facilities. We spent a good 2 years at Ilkeston (initially being there to complete my BTEC sports course during the week & then competing at Step 7 to where we were top of the league at Christmas by a substantial amount of points.

Spen, Tristan & Dave (who were the coaches at Ilkeston Town u23s then made the decision to move to Clifton AW at Step 6 as it was another stepping stone for the squad & we knew we had to collect enough points to keep Clifton up as they were struggling that season. We managed to do that & ended the season really well.

I then remained at Clifton for another season & a half (playing over 50 games for Clifton). Since moving to Clifton… Billy, Tosh & Tom in particular have been fantastic to me & of course Spen who runs the first team currently along with Billy. Recently, just before Christmas, I have moved to Eastwood CFC in step 5 who are in a really strong position & have a good chance of promotion. In all honesty, it was very difficult to leave Clifton, Spen, Billy & co but was the right time for me to try & push on.

Club: What inspired you to transition from playing to also include coaching, and how did you get into football management?

"Not only do I enjoy & love playing football but I also love the other side of the game, being on the sideline & coaching/managing, which I first began when I was 16 at Nottingham FC.
I have spent a lot of my time trying to develop & learn from a lot of different coaches along the way… Dave Lilley & Steve Fox being two good examples outside of Notts FC. It’s been an enjoyable journey so far, with experience of coaching a variety of age groups with having to manage both players & parents, which is always challenging trying to keep everyone happy.

Club: And finally, can you let us know how you think the season is going and your intentions for next season.

"Over the past 5 years, I have won a good amount of trophies (12) with Nottingham FC & I hope to replicate that with Clifton FC.

Back in June 2023, after having conversations with Billy & Spen, they both allowed me to manage an u18s side in the Leicestershire Floodlit League along with Mark Elliott, Paul Carbin & the legend Tom Leggitt. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity & again I have had to manage & deal with situations that I haven’t had to before. Leading an u18s side is a lot different to the younger age groups as you have to balance their football & you have to ensure they’re committed & dedicated to the process.
The management team have a clear target & that is to win the league come May time. So far, we have accumulated 27 points out of a possible 30… winning 9 games & only losing 1 at Ingles.

The group of players we have are fantastic & have put in so much hard work over the past 6 months.

We have a strong squad of 22 players who are all in twined & understand how serious they have to take this team. We consistently get a good number at training on a Monday evening come sun, rain, wind or snow.
I am proud & happy of where we are at the moment but there is still a very long way to go yet.

With me being a centre-back & having a passion to defend. We as a management team have installed a strong & never say die attitude where the team thrive of clean sheets & love to put their bodies on the line to ensure we collect 3 points on a Wednesday or a Thursday.

We have come up against some tough opponents this season up to now & have challenged us in many different ways but the group of players we have seem to be able to deal with near on anything that comes their way.

We have huge plans for this young squad come September 2024 which includes step 7 football & u21s midweek football for them. The future is extremely bright for Clifton FC!

I would like to finish off with some appreciation to members of the Clifton committee…
Chets who has really supported & backed every movement so far with the u18s!! His consistent social media updates are brilliant & the lads absolutely love them.
Finally, thank you to Tony, Jane & Spud too who are also really supportive of the team & ensure the clubhouse is open for both us & our opponents to use after each home game."

Up next we spoke to Mark Elliott, Assistant Manager and asked him firstly for a brief intro.

"Ive been playing football for as long as i can remember. A passion I got from my dad. I grew up watching my dads football teams joining in with there training when i could. Playied my first mens football at 15. I never played a very high standard i preferred to play with family or friends even though I think i could of played a decent level.

I played most of my football in midfield but prided myself on being able to do a job anywhere when needed a team player i captained every team i ever played for a vocal player an organiser. In the modern game i would play CDM i loved a battle.

I’ve been coaching now for 4 years and got roped into coaching my own sons then u8s team for Notts FC. My philosophy is based on hard work. You can be the most talented player on the pitch but if you don't match your talent with hard work your talent will go to waste.

I'm a vocal coach you'll hear me before you see me that’s for sure. I think teams need to be adaptable to different styles of play being one-dimensional will limit a team’s potential."

Club: Can you elaborate on your relationship with Jamie Williamson and how it contributes to the team's success?

"I've known Willow now for about 5/6 years. I've watched him grow as a player and coach. For such a young man his knowledge is impressive. he's helped me a lot with my introduction to coaching with training ideas and patterns of play.

He has a passion to win that is contagious i have a very similar passion for the game myself. We bounce ideas off each other daily and together with the rest of the management team I think we all add something of value"

We also approached Pault Carbin, Assistant Manager asking him for a quick introduction.

"My name is Paul Carbin and one of the assistant managers here at Clifton FC U18’s, I also help run Notts FC U18’s Sunday.

I joined Notts FC last year and had the opportunity to learn under our manager Jamie (willo) Williamson, willo despite his years has been an amazing person to learn from, work with and be successful with, last season we managed as a team to go on a 26 game unbeaten run and win the league, this proves what an amazing coach/manager willo is and what a team we built."

Club: Given your long history, how has your relationship with Jamie evolved over the years, and how does it benefit the team?

"Working closely with Willo we built a great friendship and working relationship, which I feel will feed greatly in moving forward with our under 18’s, the great benefit to being so close is we can be nothing but honest in any and all decisions, but this is something we all strive for in the coaching/managers team"

Club: Finally, How do you think the team has performed in their first season and how do you see the team progressing under the coaching staff's collective guidance?

"The team has begun with a great fire and determination and I personally couldn’t be happier with their performance, they have been tested and come out swinging with great passion and force, not only is this down to each and every single one of their willingness to learn, willingness to listen and willingness to work hard.

it is also a great credit for the coaching/managers staff, the team we have coaching are all very passionate, and not afraid to voice their opinions but we stay solid as one unit, this is seen by the lads and helps them to see what it means to be cemented as one unit!"

And finally an Interview with Thomas Leggett

"I'm Tom Leggitt and I have been involved with Clifton for god knows how many years as a player, coach and everything in between"

Club: How do you approach coaching, and what specific areas of development do you focus on with the players?

"I don't really do the coaching side of things at training. I am ever-present at matches and like to be a fresh set of eyes for these talented young players.

I like to take them aside and explain what I have seen and what I think could help them to improve their game. As a goalkeeper myself, I like to pass on advice to the keepers in the team, whether that's new ways to warm up or things I think might improve them in the game."

Club: Can you share your perspective on the team's dynamics and how the coaching staff collaborates to achieve success?

"The team is very dynamic and can adapt to new shapes and new ways to play. Some players are capable of playing in several positions which is a dream for us as we can change shape midway through a match, and adapt to injuries or sending-offs if need be. This is a major part of the success the u18s are having.

Myself, Willow, Paul and Mark work well together. We all have an opinion and will talk these through. We work really well as a management team and we feed off each other.
I was pleased to be asked to help out with the u18s this season and to help to make these players better and hopefully help them have long, successful, football careers."

Club: As a coach, what aspects of the game do you believe are crucial for the under-18s to master for future success?

"Most of the team are school leavers, they are a really young bunch. I believe that playing competitive Saturday football is a major part of their development. Some of the lads already play on Saturdays and this will help them progress their football. Most of the lads also participate in the first teams training, which again, is vital for that introduction into competitive Saturday football and playing and training with more experienced players and learning from them.

Next up we have approached the senior management team asking for their input into what could potentially be a team that has plenty of opportunities to break into senior football."

Anthony Spencer - First Team Manager

"At the end of last season, Billy and I sat down and plotted what we were going to do moving forward.

We decided that due to not being able to find a suitable candidate for the role of reserve manager, we were going to fold the team.

In its place, we decided to start a u18s team, which will play midweek. We had access to a very talented U16s side along with a working relationship with Pro Direct Academy we set to work.

We decided to give the role to an upcoming young manager, Jamie Williamson.
The role of the job was to coach young players who could hopefully play for the 1st team.
As it stands, the team is doing very well with several players being involved with the 1st team, which is great to see.

Our plans moving forward are to allow as many young players to play at a high level of football with an opportunity to play for the 1st team."

And finally, we approach Billy Hammond

My name's Bill Hammond, I oversee all of the senior football at Clifton including the U18’s, I’ve also previously managed U18’s at Clifton and development teams, I now coach and manage the 1st team with Antony Spencer.

Club: How do you think the under-18s are performing so far in their first season together?

"This group of U18’s operating in the Leicestershire Floodlit League have had an exceptional first half of the season, winning 9 out of 10 games and have only played one home game, remarkable so far"

Club: How do you collaborate with the under-18's coaching staff to ensure a smooth transition for players moving up to the first team?

"Personally I attend a high percentage of the U18 training sessions, this is to make sure we are incorporating the same drills and ethos from the 1st team, when any of our U18S, are invited to first team training they then know what the expectations are already."

Club: Are there specific qualities you look for in young players that indicate they are ready for the challenges of the senior squad?

"There are probably 6 main things we look for in young players,

1. Enthusiasm: Probably the most fundamental quality we look out for in players is their appetite for the game.
2. Determination: You know the kids who will track back when the ball is given away or the ones who chase ‘lost causes’?
3. Fearlessness: Another absolutely massive attribute. It’s the willingness to try new things, experiment and push the boundaries
4. Physical Coordination: Good eye-hand coordination, quick feet and balance comprise ‘physical coordination’ for us at a grassroots level
5. Awareness: The best players have a fantastic awareness of themselves, their teammates, the opposition and space
6. Responsibility: This quality sets apart the leaders from the rest. We see it when we’re picking up cones and markers after training or even collecting balls"

Club: What role do you see the under-18s playing in the overall success and sustainability of Clifton FC?

"It’s absolutely crucial for the senior set up a Clifton to have a really competitive group at this level, we would love to see a large part of this group going on to form the base of our first team, and then enjoy watching some of them progress even higher up the football pyramid."

In closing, Clifton FC's commitment to nurturing young talent and building a pathway from junior to senior football has proven successful in the debut season of their under-18s team.

The strategic approach, coupled with impressive on-field performances, showcases a promising future for the club. As the season progresses, the collaborative efforts of the coaching staff and the dedication of the players continue to shape the narrative. Clifton FC's vision for the under-18s extends beyond the current season, with plans for step 7 football and U21s midweek football in the pipeline.

We are always looking for top young players to join the club, please do get in touch to arrange a training session with the under 18's.