It was recently an important time in the calendar for our Academy as they hosted the Corey Price Cup at our Training Complex in Llanrumney.
The tournament was created and named in memory of former Academy player, Corey Price, who sadly passed away following a car accident in March 2015. Corey was a huge inspiration to all those who knew him and the tournament is a fitting way to pay tribute.
Several top level teams from across England and Wales took part in the competition, with a variety of age-group tournaments taking place in the Welsh capital over March and April.
City’s U11s finished sixth and were defeated by Liverpool, the U12s finished third and lost to Aston Villa, the U10s didn’t feature in the knockout stage, while the U9s finished seventh. All age groups from a Bluebirds perspective were represented brilliantly against talented opposition.
Reflecting on the event, Academy Manager Gavin Chesterfield said:"To see the calibre of teams visiting our Academy Training Complex at Llanrumney is a humbling experience. Whilst this is truly an all-staff effort, our Head of Foundation Phase Lawrence Hallett has worked tirelessly to grow this competition year on year. The tournament is staple part of the games programme calendar for all concerned and it’s a fitting tribute to Corey’s legacy.”
Lawrence Hallett, who plays a key role in City’s Academy nurturing young prospects, added: “Year on year, it’s getting better and better. If I look at the clubs that we have added to the competition, Manchester United were involved this year for the first time and across the four events, there were only four Premier League clubs who didn’t compete. That is incredibly positive for us and the tournament has almost become a mini-National competition. The representation is incredible and the standard is so high. Arsenal won the U9s, the U10s was won by Manchester City, Spurs won the U11s and the U12s was won by Chelsea. Year on year, the standard gets higher and the challenge for us is to raise the bar yet again next year.
“The staff involved in organising the event were truly extraordinary. On the final weekend, I think we had 15-20 staff present and ten of those were part-time staff. They were there because they wanted the event to run as smoothly as possible. They have a love of what we do and an investment in Cardiff City Football Club. In many ways, they represent the best of us. They embody everything that Cardiff City aspires to be.
“Corey’s family were in attendance at the event and when he’s spoken about, it gives you so much perspective. We all become so consumed by the results of each game and we want to win the tournament, but Lee, Corey’s father speaks and you then see that it’s about much more than that. The family are very appreciative of what’s been done in Corey’s name and on the weekend, Manchester United in their first involvement in the competition presented them with a shirt, which was a brilliant moment. There is so much more to this than football.”
