Try-Out & Non-member booking to be made before Friday (3pm)
U6-U10 (Saturday Team) - Selection from our development centre sessions, midweek & weekend
2025/26: U7-U16 (Sunday Team) - Complete trials form for open trials
WANDSWORTH LIONS FC
Brave With The Ball
Girls Only Football (All Abilities): 14th January - 1st April 2025
Centre of Excellence Team (Invitation Only): 7th January - 3rd April 2025
Development Centre (All Abilities): 8th January - 5th April 2025
The Cubs (age 3-5): 11th January - 5th April 2025
Holiday Camp: 7th April - 17th April 2025
Centre Of Excellence (WLFC Teams) 2025-26 Trials: click HERE to visit our trials page
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
Wandsworth Lion's Football Club (WLFC) centre of excellence is invitation only.
Our aim is to provide a platform where children age 5 to 16 who are ready to compete can showcase their ability during their development phase and competitive phase of their football journey.
60% of our players are invited from development centre, with a further 40% from our holiday camps or annual trials. A player would need to show commitment, great attitude to learning (coachable) and working within a team as well as good to excellent ability to be invited.
The teams are split into two categories which is development phase and competitive phase.
If your child has been invited to represent the club and be part of our centre of excellence, please click enrol and join our centre of excellence. For trials, please visit our trials page.
DEVELOPMENT PHASE (U7-U10)
Development phase is the start of Wandsworth Lions FC players journey in playing matches against other opponents. Under FA rule, age groups from under 6 to under 11 participate in development matches where results are not kept or permitted to be shown by the league. These matches are friendlies with a competitive edge to help player development.
However, a league is permitted to host a cup or tournament per season, giving players the chance to experience competitive football where results are recorded and points rewarded. Competitive football during players development phase is solely the decision of the league, with the choice of knockout cup fixtures or tournament cup fixtures.
As a club of the Tandridge youth league, our development phase teams play tournament cup fixtures, ensuring our players receive multiples competitive matches where results are recorded, as well as competitive but friendly matches where no results are recorded, helping players overall development.
From the age of 5 (school year 1), Wandsworth Lions FC will look to select children from our soccer school and annual trials who shows readiness to compete. These players who show enthusiasm to playing competitive football will be invited to arranged friendly matches where they can showcase their skills. These matches allows coaches to see how a player is developing at our sessions, and whether he/she is capable of playing regular competitive football.
It is important that players are not forced but rather encouraged to participate in friendly matches. Those who excel and show interest in competing will then be invited to represent our Wandsworth Lions during their competitive phase of their development from under 12 (school year 7).
COMPETITIVE PHASE (U11-U16)
Competitive phase is when our players are officially entered into a league and start competing for points against other teams, withh results recorded and league table displayed. Competitive phase starts from U12, with preparation starting from U11.
Under FA rule, under 11 participate in development matches where results are not kept or permitted to be shown by the league.
However, a league is permitted to host a cup or tournament per season, giving players the chance to experience competitive football where results are recorded and points rewarded.
As a club of the Tandridge youth league, our U11 team play two tournament cup fixtures (Autumn and Spring), ensuring our players receive multiples competitive matches where results are recorded as they prepare for competitive phase football from U12.
From U12 to U16, teams will be competing against other in league fixtures as well as knockout cup fixtures. During competitive phase, players will focus on tactical aspect of football, helping players with specifics such as the where and when in order to effectively play an compete as a team. We will also make available technical sessions in order to ensure players continues developing their how and why, as they compete.
Majority of players selected for our competitive age group would have come through our development phase, with a few coming from annual trials or holiday camps.
Players selected for our competitive phase must be able to combine football education with their school education as we view both as important. As lions, we take pride in all aspect of players development whether school or football.