Forestdale FC U8s Face Fulham Pre-Academy

On 18 April, our U8s took on Fulham Pre-Academy in a pre-academy fixture that gave the group a brilliant taste of what competing against a Premier League club looks like.

Fulham have a well-regarded academy setup and a clear identity as a football club — and our U8s rose to the occasion. These are seven and eight-year-olds, but you wouldn't have known it from the way they carried themselves on the day. They were organised, they worked hard, and they enjoyed every minute of it.

That enjoyment is the whole point at this age. When a kid comes off the pitch having faced a Premier League academy side and can't stop talking about it on the way home, that's the job done.

At Forestdale FC we're a grassroots youth football club based in Croydon and Bromley, and giving our players real experiences against professional clubs is central to what we do. It's not a one-off — it's a standard we hold ourselves to.
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Well done to all the U8s. Thanks to Fulham Pre-Academy for a great afternoon.