September 29, 2007 USL Toronto Lynx and Premier Soccer Academy announce affiliation with English Premier League's Bolton Wanderers (from Lynx media release)
TORONTO LYNX MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TORONTO LYNX AND PREMIER SOCCER ACADEMY ANNOUNCE AFFILIATION WITH ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE’S BOLTON WANDERERS
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2007 (TORONTO, ON) Premier Soccer Academy and the Toronto Lynx Soccer Club announced today that they have entered into an affiliation agreement with Bolton Wanderers Football Club of the English Premier League (EPL). The partnership will focus on player development through Bolton’s International Academy program and comes on the heels of extensive meetings held recently at Reebok Stadium in Bolton, hometown of Toronto Lynx Head Coach and Premier Soccer Academy Director Duncan Wilde.
Wilde, in conjunction with Academy partners Danny Stewart and Billy Steele, is excited about the opportunities the working relationship will create on behalf of elite players in the Greater Toronto Area who have ambition to play at the very highest level. “Bolton has recognized that the Toronto Lynx Junior program’s success, achieved competing in the United Soccer Leagues Super Y-League as well as high-level tournaments and showcase events throughout the United States, demonstrate that we have an elite-level system in place to prepare Ontario-based players for future professional opportunities.” said Wilde. “Our relationship with Bolton will enhance this success even further as they will provide high quality technical guidance, new player monitoring methods in line with the English system, regular visits from Bolton Academy Coaches and an annual March break tour by the Premier Soccer Academy and Junior Lynx to the Reebok Stadium with Academy training and exhibition games in the UK.”
Premier Soccer Academy’s relationship with Bolton began in the late 90’s when Jeff McLean from the Durham region was signed by the Wanderers as an apprentice professional. Jeff was the first player from Premier Soccer Academy that broke through into the English game. The success was repeated a few years later when Iain Hume was identified and signed by the Tranmere Rovers during a Premier Soccer Academy tour of England. Hume now stars for Leicester City and has firmly established his place in Canada’s National squad. These two successes, alongside the consistent high standings of the Lynx Junior teams in the Super Y-League, highlight the deep talent pool in Ontario, and the relationship with Bolton will only serve to create many more opportunities in the future for our elite level youth players.
The Bolton Wanderers International Academy is managed by John Hindley, who will visit Toronto for the official launch of the new affiliation in early November, following a similar visit to Australia. “We have one of the best academies in the U.K, continuously supplying the first team with Academy graduates.” commented Hindley. “Our current Club Captain Kevin Nolan, together with first team regulars Nicky Hunt, Ricardo Vaz Te, Joey O’Brien and James Sinclair, all came through our academy system. We also now have a current crop of young players that we expect to follow suit and also take their chance. Through a strong association in Canada with the Premier Soccer Academy and the Toronto Lynx we believe one day soon we will produce a player for the English Premier League. As manager of the Bolton Wanderers International Academy, I have every confidence that the structure in place between Premier Soccer Academy and the Toronto Lynx, together with the technical support that Billy, Danny and Duncan bring to the project from their experience in both the UK and North America, will provide the platform we require, to build a strong representation and base in Canada for the Wanderers.”
Premier Soccer Academy will announce shortly details of the first official Bolton Wanderers visit to Canada for an elite player identification program, which will be open to players from across the country. The sessions will be supervised and monitored by senior Academy staff from the Bolton Wanderers Football Club International Academy. More details regarding the International Academy can be found at www.bwfcia.co.uk.
Premier Soccer Academy will also announce details of a new 12-14 Boys Elite developmental program in the coming weeks.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
DUNCAN WILDE
TORONTO LYNX SOCCER CLUB HEAD COACH
PREMIER SOCCER ACADEMY DIRECTOR
905-469-8783
dwilde@lynxsoccer.com
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