Norwich Football Tournament for Brandon

Last Saturday Brandon's Academy Soccer Team had a fantastic opportunity to play a tournament at the Norwich Stadium at Carrow Rd. As Academy have circa 18 players currently they decided to split the team in to two teams to enter, so we had the greens and the blues (Brandon was part of the blues).

The tournament was pretty tough going against some strong EJ level teams but neither of the Academy teams really looked out of place and just didn't have as much luck as other teams in the short 12 min formats. The greens finished 3rd or 4th out of 8 and the blues finished in 5th place with 2 wins, 2 draws and a loss.

Brandon was pretty upset with the result which shows just how passionate he is about his football lately. To be honest I would be disappointed if he didn't show that sort of emotion knowing the team are capable of much more. Despite the results though, it was an absolutely fantastic day for the kids and parents and an experience to cherish forever.

All the lads got a tour around the stadium in between games and got some professional pictures taken which was a nice touch. There was no rivalry between the greens and blues and despite being in the same group, they both cheered and chanted at the other team when they were playing. So although split in to to teams, you could see they were one closely knit unit that all supported each other. Great bunch of lads and coaches.

The greens in the Norwich dugout.

Greens on in the official Norwich changing rooms.

Carrow Rd on a sunny Saturday.

Team picture of the blues and greens at Carrow Rd.

Plenty of parents travelled up to support the teams in the tournament.

Blues in the Norwich changing rooms.

The two coaches, Chris and Tony both did a fantastic job managing the teams and organising the event.

The whole team outside Carrow Rd.

The pitch looking amazing before kick-off.

Sods law the side we sat on was in the shade so I sat there freezing all day despite the sunshine.

The blues chilling in the Holiday Inn ahead of the tournament.

And some of the greens.

After a 2 hour drive up to Norwich I managed to convince Brandon to pose for a picture outside the stadium.

Not many people get the chance to play in a tournament at a stadium, so a great experience for B.

Action shot of Brandon on the ball.

Pre-tournament profile picture.

The blues are called out of the tunnel and line-up in the center of the pitch for a team photo.

The result may not have gone Brandon's way, but he came home with some nice souvenirs to remember his day.

Another medal for his collection.