THIS week, due to the success of our ever-improving academy and in order to develop the club and its players further, we have been delighted to reveal that we will be creating an under-21 elite development squad for next season.

The squad will be aimed at bridging the gap between academy football and the first team, with the option for players to combine full-time training with a sports course or train in the evening if they have other commitments.

As the academy progresses, we recognise the need to keep our younger players here for longer and develop them for senior football. We feel the need is there for our players to gain valuable experience, playing against senior opposition, and having this set-up in place will also give first-team players the chance to gain match time when they return from injury.

If you would like to take part in the trials for the under-21 elite development side please email adam.clark@basingstoketown.net with a covering letter and football CV.

We will collate all the CVs and will be in touch by Friday, April 31 to let the successful applicants know about trial dates. Further information will be released as and when it happens.

We play our final league game away at Weston-super-Mare this Saturday, a game we will be aiming to win as we look to finish as high as possible.

I would like to thank you all for your continued support throughout the season and I hope we can reward you with success in the play-offs, which get under way on Wednesday.

Regards,

Jason