But I also think the coaching in independent schools is much better than it used to be. Rather than getting, say, the history master, who just loved the game to oversee the top teams, there are properly qualified coaches. However, while many quickly recognise that they will never be good enough to become professional, they still want to develop their potential as much as they can.
Many schools, which once banned football completely, are now finding that pupil and parents demand that they provide the sport at a good level. In addition, in contrast to the professional game, behaviour in school football matches is excellent, with little dissent. Things have changed. At Eton, Andy Jennings, the master-in-charge, says that there can be 23 different teams across all age groups from the College, which has 1, pupils.
The 25 boarding houses also participate in a knock-out cup. There is an annual two-week tour before the start of the autumn term, which combines matches, training and cultural and educational opportunities.
Charterhouse has built up a reputation for excellence in football and this attracts boys to the school. We even field six teams at Under 14 year-olds. The current Under 18 team had great organisation and will-to-win.
And I do think that being a boarding school helps. Not only was that his sole international but it was two years before he made another first-team appearance for Newcastle, a return to prominence that amounted to just five games before he left the club. Save for a few games for Darlington four or five years later his top-class career was over. During the recent Test between England and New Zealand the BBC showed a re-run of a one-day international between two sides from a few years back in which I counted five former, present or future captains Brearley, Gooch, Gower, Botham and Willis.
Has this ever been surpassed? In the Lahore Test match Javed Miandad became the youngest player to score a century on Test debut this was subsequently eclipsed by Salim Malik. Bryan Robson was customarily returned home early. But the soccer score is surpassed by the England rugby union Grand Slam team captained by Bill Beaumont. I believe that in the early s ITV was responsible for a long throw-in competition which Ian Hutchinson won. If such a competition took place today who would win?
Is it true that Teddy Maybank, the legendary Chelsea, Brighton and Fulham centre-forward was one of the first contestants on Blind Date? Am I right in saying that Dayjur's Did any Premiership team manage to field a side using squad numbers 1 to 11 last season?
If you know the answers to any of these questions, or have a sporting question of your own you would like answered, write to:. Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism. By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies.
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Sport has been central to the Eton curriculum for some time — the first ever recorded inter-school fixture is an Eton v Westminster cricket match in , amateur rowing was established here and the Eton House Field Game trophy is even older than the FA Cup. In the 21st century we provide organised sport on six afternoons per week. The sports programme is designed to encourage a rich and diverse experience for boys.
Opportunity is key: pupils play for school teams and in House competitions for major sports teams including rugby, hockey and cricket, as well as a broad array of other sports such as fencing, squash, rackets, martial arts and water polo. Most Masters enjoy coaching sports teams and we also employ many coaches whose sole role is to concentrate on one particular sport to offer specialist coaching to pupils or support other staff.
Whilst pupils enjoy playing sports in their own right, the process of engaging in sport at Eton also embodies many qualities promoted by the College. Consequently, Eton aims to give every boy the chance to benefit from learning through sport by playing, improving and enjoying the sport of his choice.
The College offers a great deal of coached sports with many boys using this pathway to play for school teams. School teams include, but are not limited to, approximately 45 school rugby and football teams in the Michaelmas half term , 18 hockey teams in the Lent, 22 cricket teams, 10 rowing crews and over 40 pairs in tennis, as well as school teams in many other sports ranging from basketball to fencing to sailing and climbing.
Competitions in House sport take place in all three halves terms so that there is at least one competition in each sport during an academic year. Many sports have more than one such competition to allow boys of different standards to play meaningfully and enjoy representing their House.
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