A successful youth football club from Brentford are planning to branch out into senior football for their players who don't make it as pros.
Spartans, based at Carville Hall Park North, have an alumni of ex-players including past and present Watford players Alex Jakubiak, Kieron Forbes and Bernard Mensah, as well as Yeovil Town's Seth Nana Twumasi.
Their most talented players also get regular trials at Cardiff City, where Mark Stow, who co-founded Spartans eight years ago, is chief first team scout.
Stow said: “We have had great success in producing good young players, but we want to form a senior team too for those who don't quite make it to carry on playing in after the age of 16, and we hope to join the Middlesex County League in a year's time.”
The club have taken the first step towards achieving their ambition with the opening of a new clubhouse at Carville, with facilities which will allow them to play step seven senior football.
They did so with the help of a £20,000 grant from the SITA Trust, which has helped with the plumbing and re-tiling of the clubhouse.
Other plans include more age group teams, plus putting on football sessions for young people with learning difficulties.
To celebrate their ambitious plans, Spartans held their first football fun day last Saturday, which doubled up as the club's trials day and presentation day too. Jakubiak, who made his first team debut for Watford on the final day of last season, came back to present the prizes.
Meanwhile, fellow youth football side Hampton Rangers are looking for boys going into year five at school to join them for next season. Training is held between 5-6pm on Wednesdays in Hatherop Park. Call 07944 072873 or email alfiesmithmason@gmail.com for more details.
