The Cheltenham Town Centre of Excellence has become an integral part of the football club's growth both on and off the field.
The club founded the Centre of Excellence back in 1999 after promotion to the Football League and the youth system has gone from strength to strength ever since.
The main aims of the Centre of Excellence was to offer opportunities to young footballers from all across Gloucestershire and develop players good enough to compete at Football League level with the Robins. Players such as Michael Duff, Shane Duff and Dave Bird have gone on to become a major success here at Whaddon Road and it is the hope of the club that many more youngsters can pull on the Cheltenham Town shirt over the coming years.
Mission Statement
Through a structured programme of technical and holistic development we aim to provide the best opportunities for locally based players in and around Gloucestershire to learn and develop in a safe and guided environment. Our central objective is for individuals to ultimately progress into professional football.
Our Core Aim
For a player to be successful at any level he must be given the right environment in which to perform. Individual playing ability is a key to success but this is by no means the only factor. We know that the players who make it in football are those who’s attitude and make up is geared towards the goal of becoming a ‘professional footballer’. Our aim at Cheltenham Town FC is to educate our players in ALL aspects of training to be a professional so that we can maximise their chances of success through providing the right environment.
We take an interest in all aspects of the development of our players and this includes progress made at school since it is vital that our youngest do not fall into the trap of ignoring their studies in pursuit of their dream. To this end, we aim to provide liaison between the club, school and parents.
We can only do this in co-operation with parents and other helpers and we as a club recognise the vital importance of this partnership to which we must all be committed.
For more information, please visit the Centre of Excellence official website: www.ctfcyd.com