Wightlink and Portsmouth FC link up to support young footballers

Young footballers hoping to be the next Harry Kane or Lucy Bronze are being given a helping hand by Wightlink.

For many years, Portsmouth FC has provided opportunities for talented young players from the Isle of Wight, with Pompey In The Community programmes providing coaching for hundreds of young footballers.

For Island players, however, pursuing those opportunities also means regular ferry travel to training and matches on the mainland.

Wightlink’s support is helping to make that journey easier, saving participating families hundreds of pounds over the course of a season. Benefitting from the company’s support will be BTEC Sport students George Hirons, Ollie O’Neil, Pippa Douglas, Rosie Porter and Aimee Rann.

The two-year course offers a football-focused alternative to a traditional college experience.

There are also seven other Islanders attending Pompey Junior Premier League training sessions. They are Rocco Hayles, Harrison Lee, Kasia Delaney, Florence Homes, Nina Dubyk, Gracie Ord and Evalyn Bartlett, while Belle Eklund attends the weekly Emerging Talent Centre.

A spokesperson for Pompey ITC said: “The younger kids are in our Junior Premier League teams and the programme is designed to help them improve and progress within a structured, professional football environment.”

Rocco’s parent said: “Living on the Isle of Wight has so many advantages, but for young footballers it can also create barriers.

“Playing the same opposition week after week inevitably limits development, and progressing to the next level often means travelling to the mainland.

“Being part of Pompey in the Community means regularly travelling to the mainland for training and matches.  Without support from Wightlink, this opportunity simply wouldn’t have been possible for our family.

“These passes are about so much more than travel. They give Rocco the chance to step outside his comfort zone, challenge himself against different teams, experience new styles of play and higher physical intensities, and continue chasing his dream.

“Wightlink’s support and generosity has given a young boy the chance to dream big and see just how far hard work and determination can take him.

Kirstie Higgins-Day, Wightlink’s head of business development, said: “We’re proud to support young footballers from the Isle of Wight as they develop their skills within the Portsmouth FC structure.

“We know the commitment involved for families, both in terms of time and cost, and we’re pleased to make that journey a little easier and help these young players make the most of the opportunities available to them.”