Hampton & Richmond Borough will be hosting a football academy at St Paul’s College Sunbury, starting from September.

St Paul’s is a high-performing academic school in Sunbury station.

The course entails eight to 10 hours weekly study for a sport leadership award (NVQ level three - equivalent to two A level B passes), which would incorporate the football coaching Uefa B licence part one award (FA level two) and, in limited circumstances, would allow enough timetable space for two other courses at A level/BTEC/NVQ or GCSE retakes.

The boys will receive at least six hours training a week from an A licence coach on astro turf. They will compete in the midweek Conference league against similar non-league and professional (non A teams) college teams.

The club will maintain an open entry level to their youth team outside of the college offering, with boys coming in at least twice a week to train and play under floodlights in the Ryman Youth League.

This will allow attendance at any college of their and their parents choosing.

The college course is ideal for boys who wish to follow a career in football coaching, football leadership, sports science careers and sports teaching (links will be sought with St Mary’s Twickenham, for instance, for university study for PE teaching and other physical education and sports science careers).

Club chairman Steve McPherson said: “This academy is great news for everyone at the club. It will help us develop our own players for the future and ensure they have a qualification for a career at the same time.

“I look forward to working closely with St Pauls and would like to thank Nick Hornsey and Paul White for all their hard work in getting us to this stage.”

An open evening will be held at Hampton & Richmond Borough FC, Beaver Close (off Station Road), Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 2BT on Thursday, February 11 (7pm).

Every one is welcome to attend and representatives from Hampton & Richmond and St Paul’s will be there to give a presentation and answer any questions.

Register your interest by supplying a CV to pauljw@live.co.uk and fill in the application form at st-pauls.surrey.sch.uk, or arrive at the open evening with your CV or give your details on the night.

Boys with the most promising background will be offered a trial and then the final cohort will be selected in the spring of 2010 after trials.

If you are only interested in the open entry (ie attend a college of your own choosing and train one evening a week and a weekend morning and play for the Ryman Youth League team) reply to pauljw@live.co.uk with your CV or details indicating this intention.

If you can’t make the open evening, call 07847 032 095 or 020 8947 2789 and speak to Paul White.