Brighton Trip Day 2: A Day in London

The lads were up bright and early as they were served a Full English breakfast before heading out at 9am for a full day tour of London.  The lads covered over 8 miles of walking and were able to see some of the best sights that the bustling metropolis of London has to offer.

The kids were able to see Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Square, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Tower Square, London Eye, and plenty of other incredible sights during this walking tour. 

Part of the kids tour was led by Sports Tours Europe staff chaperone (and absolute legend) Bob Hope who told the kids some of the rich history of London.  Some of that rich history included old tales that only a true Londoner would know (or be able to make up).  Regardless of whether all of Bob's stories were true or not, the kids loved every second of it.

Next the kids stopped in Niketown on the world famous Oxford Street for a little bit of shopping before departing to the Westfield Mall in preparation for the West Ham vs Fulham game. 

After a dinner at Pizza Express it was time for the lads to see West Ham vs Fulham at the incredible Olympic Stadium in West London.  After a rocky start for West Ham, going down 1-0 in the first few minutes, the boys were treated to an electric 3-1 win for West Ham in a game that was action packed from start to finish.  They also got to witness one of English Footballs greatest traditions as the West Ham fans sang "Forever Blowing Bubbles" before the start of the game. 

All in all an incredible and very busy day in London.  The boys saw just about every famous site in London and were able to watch a very fun game of football.  Now it is time to head back to Brighton where the boys will be competing with some of Brighton's youth teams tomorrow.  The lads can't wait to start competing on the pitch!

Day One in Brighton

The boys have touched down in London town!  Everything went smoothly with the flight into Gatwick except for a slight delay where they had to de-ice the plane.

After getting through the airport, the boys boarded a coach bus and jetted off to the YHA where they are staying in Brighton, about an hours drive from the airport.  They arrived in the hostel and put their bags away in the storage room and Bob Hope from Sports Tours Europe and Paul Willis gave them a speech to welcome the boys as well as set the expectations for the trip.

Next the boys got to stretch their legs and walk around downtown Brighton, Brighton Pier, as well as walk around one of the local malls.  The boys were quick to stock up on delicious English chocolate and Lucozade. 

 After a brief time spent downtown, the boys headed back to the hotel to get ready for the evening training session with Brighton FC.  An early competition has broken out among the boys as they are currently fighting for the title of "Best Foosball player" on the trip.

 Finally it was time to head to Brighton's beautiful training ground for their evening training session.  Ian Buckman, the assistant academy director for Brighton FC, led the boys training session at the AMEX Elite Performance Center.  The boys had an incredible time training at this world class facility. 

Such an eventful day in Brighton and the trip has only just begun.  Tomorrow will be the day spent in London which is going to be amazing.  Can't wait for tomorrow and to see what the rest of the trip holds.  

Pre-Trip Briefing

Hello Seacoast United Players and Parents!

We are super excited as our first group of 2019 will be heading out to England tomorrow!

Just wanted to share a picture of the schedule so that all can see what the kids will be up to each day.

Day one we will be arriving in London Gatwick at 8:35 in the morning before transferring an hour away to our home base at YHA in Brighton.   The kids will have some free time in Brighton before a two hour training session in the evening.

Day two will be the boys day in London where they will be touring all day before heading to West Ham vs Fullham at the Olympic Stadium in London.

Day three we have our first competitive match against Brighton's Community team in the morning before a fun day down at Brighton Pier.  

Day four is a full day of fun as we visit the beautiful coastal town of Portsmouth for a day of sightseeing.

Day five kicks off a four day stretch of training with Brighton Hove Albion at their incredible training ground.  Day five the boys will have a double training session at Brighton before bowling in the evening.  Next day they will have a morning training session before taking a tour of the Amex Stadium where Brighton plays their matches.  That evening they will have a competitive match against Brighton's Academy.

Day seven starts with a training session at Brighton before they attend Southampton vs Fulham in the evening.  The last full day starts with a training session before heading to Queens Park Rangers to play one of their youth teams at their ground.  The following day we will pack up, go to Gatwick Airport and be on our way back to Boston.

Follow along with us on this blog as we will be providing more information as well as photos for you to keep up with the kids and what they are doing every day!