3 Days in the Life: FA Level 1 Coaching at St George’s Park

Emma Pursey’s first-person account of completing her FA Level 1 coaching badge at St George’s Park, funded by Vauxhall, main sponsor of all four home nations. She dubs the place Football Heaven: pristine pitches, the first named after Kelly Smith, corridors lined with England legends and Paul Ince on her bedroom wall. Chris Hornbuckle, Vauxhall’s head of sponsorship, welcomes fourteen prospective coaches, three of them women, a good ratio when women are roughly ten per cent of annual Level 1 completions. Tutors Les Howie, FA head of grassroots football, and Roger Davies, coaching in education manager, normally train tutors themselves. Pursey notes genuine respect within the group, spots Hope Powell, Joe Royle and Sir Trevor Brooking, and describes the assessed sessions of day three. Fellow participants Lorna Smith and Joanne Jones give their verdicts; Pursey leaves itching to coach locally.