This year saw a highly successful trip for the U14 and U15 football teams to Madrid. The U15s won 1 game and lost 2, and the U14s won 2 and lost 1. They were able to immerse themselves in all things football right from the start as straight away the boys got their first wave of football excitement when they drove past the Real Madrid training ground. They were lucky enough to stay at the Spanish FA residence, which hosts the Spanish national teams when they play and train locally. After a brief walk around the impressive training grounds, they got stuck into training with the two Spanish FA coaching staff.

The next day saw the boys playing their first match against the local Cabanillas, followed by a tour of the amazing Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. The evening was rounded off with a fantastic football-themed quiz. Rainy weather got in the way of a trip to the Warner Brothers theme park, but the amazing experience of watching Real Madrid beat Athletico Bilbao more than made up for it!

On the following day the group worked hard with the Spanish FA coaching staff in preparation for their evening match against EMF Alovera. This was another cracking match and the Aldenham boys showed some real grit against their Spanish opposition. More training was to follow on the next morning before a look at the rich history of the Spanish FA museum. In the evening, both teams played with huge energy against their toughest opposition yet, CD Atletico Torrejon. It was a great match to finish on. On the last day, the boys had one final training session with the FA staff, followed by an opportunity to soak up the local culture.