ABOUT FTIFA
Fleetwood Town International Football Academy provides a unique experience for all participants to sample what it is like to be a professional football player. Our aim is to empower all participants, develop their character and provide opportunities to fulfil their potential through a life changing experience in a unique, challenging and motivating learning environment. Our pathways provide players with aspirations of playing at the highest level possible with the platform to realise their goals.
Who We Are
THE FLEETWOOD TOWN STORY
Originally formed in 1908 Fleetwood Town Football Club moved through the lower leagues of the amateur game with many ups and downs. With significant financial investment that breathed life into the club, our climb up the divisions began. By 2014 we had achieved 6 promotions in 10 years and were playing at the highest level in our history, League One of the English football league, just two promotions away from the Premier League.
Fleetwood Town FC now have partner clubs around the world, and an ever increasing and global fan-base. We have maintained our status in League One for over 10 years, and are now the longest serving club in the league.
Fleetwood Town have a rich history of producing talented players that go onto achieving high levels of success, such as Jamie Vardy (England national team and Premier League winner), James Hill (Bournemouth FC Premier League player) and Amari’i Bell (Luton Town Premier League player).
Our Team
COACHES AND ACADEMY HEADS
Ryan Vaughan
Chief Operations Officer (FTIFA) Ryan overseas all our international programmes globally through our Fleetwood Football Group. Ryan is an A Licence Coach with experience Coaching and Scouting for over 12 years at Liverpool FC, Fleetwood Town FC, Preston North End and Blackpool FC. Ryan has a track record of developing and supporting players through there playing journey throughout the years.
Michael Horsfall
International Academy Manager & Safeguarding Lead. Mick has 11 years experience of coaching at Fleetwood Town FC. He has worked between the ages of Under 9s to Under 18s while supporting some of our academy graduates. Mick is a UEFA B licence coach in football and futsal with a wealth of experience of working abroad.
MICHAEL O’NEILL
Lead FTIFA Coach & Academy Scout. Mike has a wealth of experience in coaching and scouting at various different clubs which include Liverpool FC, Fleetwood Town FC, and Blackpool FC. Mike is currently the Chairman of Kendal Town FC and also holds the UEFA B Licence.
MATT WHITWORTH
FTIFA Head Of Goalkeeping. Matt is our Lead Goalkeeper Coach for FTIFA and is one of our Academy Goalkeeper Coaches for U9s - U23s. Matt has experience of playing at clubs including Fleetwood Town FC, Accrington Stanley and Bury FC. Matt holds both his UEFA B in Coaching Goalkeepers and Football.
Who We Are
OUR MANIFESTO
Our manifesto is centred around the belief that football is not a linear, one dimensional game. This is why we not only believe in the path less travelled, but actively promote and provide less-traditional pathways into professional football.
- Develop the person, challenge the player. This phrase is what all FTIFA Coaches live by! We want to create and develop talented and skillful football players, but more importantly, we want to inspire our players to be the best possible people that they can be.
- We understand that football is a game of opinions, and that coaches may have completely different views of a player, but that these individual opinions do not define the player’s ability or worth.
- Talent is not limited to a specific region. Players from all over the world have the ability to realise their goals of playing at the highest level of professional football that they can!
- Gone are the days of the only players making it into professional football being the ones who were scouted at a very young age by leading professional academies. Former Fleetwood Town FC and England National Team player, Jamie Vardy is living proof of this. In the modern game, players can go on to have highly successful careers, even if they did not start out as being child-prodigies.
- Although our programmes offer many real opportunities into professional football, there are still numerous barriers in place that could prevent the progression of any player’s career. Injury, visas and not fitting a particular coach’s system, are just a few of the many others. This is why at FTIFA, we believe in providing off-field educational opportunities too, such as at our Education Partner, SGI, in the UK or the FTIFA Cape Town Soccer and School programme. We have also partnered with US college experts who provide assistance for our players who wish to pursue scholarships to study and play in the USA.
