Bath Primary Schools' Football Association

A Squad of 18 talented youngsters has been named by the Bath Chronicle-sponsored Bath Primary Schools' FA for the 2003/4 season. The inaugural Bath district Primary School side was selected following two trials which attracted more than 100 boys under the age of 11 during the summer.

The team will compete in the National League and National Cup, with their first friendly clash scheduled against an academy side on September 3.

The chairman of the association and coach of the squad Tim Kirk is confident the newly-formed team will do well.

"This is the first year we have had a district side for Primary Schools so it is a really important year, " said Kirk.

"We were originally only going to have 16 boys in the team, but we just couldn't narrow it down and decided to select 18.

"They are already a very talented bunch of players, with five of them at professional clubs - either Bristol Rovers or Swindon. A scout also came down from Southampton to watch the trials.

"The challenge will be that they gel as a team, as they are from a lot of different schools.

"But we have a very experienced manager in Greg Taylor, who played for Bristol Rovers and England at university level, managed at Paulton and is currently director of sport at King Edward's School."

Opportunities for footballers at Primary School level have previously been limited, so the district side is seen as a big step forward.

And Kirk, who also runs the Team Bath Academy, hopes the initiative will spill over into other sports.

"This should really set the pace for other sports in terms of getting coaching into schools and helping set up clubs at individual schools, " he added.

"I will also be working at trying to get qualified coaches, some from Team Bath, into the schools."

The new team's league campaign starts in mid-September, with Bristol Rovers' pair Sam Butler and Lewis Hunt and Swindon's Tom Lewington expected to be among the leading players.

The side also includes Ernie Peibst, who has been on a trial with Rovers, and Jordan Tillson, the son of former Bristol Rovers captain and Team Bath coach Andy Tillson.

Chandag School in Keynsham have the most representatives, with four pupils in the team.

BATH PRIMARY SCHOOLS' FA SQUAD FOR 2003/4

Sam Butler (St Phillip's), Paris Grappy (WASPS), Lewis Hunt ( WASPS), Myles Jeffries (Chandag), Tom Lewington (St Michael's), Sam Mount (King Edward's), Bradley Norris (Oldfield Park), William Oswim (Newbridge) , Ernie Peibst (Corsham), Neil Pincott (Chandag), Daniel Rosser (St Martin's), Samuel Saare (Whitchurch), Jamie Smithies (Chandag), Joseph Symmonds (Southdown), Jordan Tillson (Bathwick), Richard Watkins (Chandag), Charlie Wills (Paragon), Calem Ellms (St Saviours).