East Berkshire College students are on the ball
Two talented students from East Berkshire College have been selected to play for the under 19s England Colleges football team.
Nathan Webb (17) from Hayes and Charlie Wassmer (18) from Northolt beat 240 hopefuls from colleges across the UK to secure their places in the national squad. The successful duo underwent rigorous trials culminating in a national development weekend in Lilleshall, where a shortlist of 36 footballers was then whittled down to just 20.
Their first match will be a fixture against the Wales Colleges team. Followed by a tournament in Rome in February where they will be competing against other national sides including Italy, France and Germany.
“This is a great achievement for Charlie and Nathan,” says Simon East, FEDO (Football Education Development Opportunity) director at the College. “The standard for the under 19s squad is very high. Six players from the last team have now gone on to play professionally. It acts as an ideal platform for talented young footballers and I have high hopes for both students.”
Nathan, who is currently studying for a BTEC National Diploma in Sports Science at the College, found he was good at the sport from an early age, when his dad got him into a local team.
“I’m very excited about being selected to play in Italy,” comments Nathan. “We are training hard three to four times a week and I think we have a good chance of winning. Simon and my coaches at the College have been tremendously supportive. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
“Ultimately, I’d like to play in the premiership and then perhaps coach. I enjoy teaching others the skills I have learnt, passing on my knowledge and experience. I already coach under 10s, which is very rewarding.”
Charlie, who is in his final year of a NVQ level three coaching course, was also passionate about football from a young age - playing for Hayes youth team when he was just 9 years old. He says: “My brother played professionally for Fulham and I’ve always been keen to follow in his footsteps. My goal is to play for a top team like Man United one day.”
The College has a strong reputation for nurturing budding young footballers with a number of former students, such as Josh Scott, having made the step up into the professional game.
The College’s Football Education Development Opportunity programme has won a Football Association National Charter Standard award, the most prestigious award in grassroots football.
Jomo Faal-Thomas
On Tuesday 25th August staff and students from East Berkshire College and Hartpury College came together to remember the life of Jomo Faal Thomas. Jomo, a former student at both colleges, sadly past away earlier in the month after a year long battle against cancer.
By way of tribute the two colleges have agreed to play a regular fixture against each other during pre-season for the Jomo Faal Thomas Memorial trophy.
The inaugural fixture ended in a closely fought 2-1 win for East Berkshire in a game 
that was a fitting tribute to the memory of an individual who had a hugely positive impact on both institutions.
East Berkshire Captain, Nathan Webb was presented with the Jomo Faal – Thomas Trophy by East Berkshire coach Simon East.
Jomo enjoyed a fantastic career at college level, captaining the ECFA national team through one of its most successful periods. He also progressed well in the non-league game, making appearances for Wealdstone, Aldershot and Staines which eventually led to a trial with league 2 side Crewe Alexandra.
Just as impressive as his performances on the pitch was the way Jomo conducted himself off it. He excelled in the classroom gaining a national diploma at distinction level from East Berkshire before illness cut short his business management degree at Hartpury. His dedication to both his training and his studies was a great example to all student athletes, and his lifestyle choices away from the game displayed his determination and desire to be the best he could be.
He will be sadly missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.
Further comment can be found at: http://www.hartpury.ac.uk/news/detail.asp?PRID=1072
Kerr Multilingual Team Up With FEDO 
At FEDO, we’re all about keeping in touch with our local communities and giving something back and we’re delighted to announce that we are working with a sponsor who feels exactly the same way!
Recruitment specialists Kerr Multilingual, based in Ealing, West London, will be sponsoring the new team captain for 2010, Nathan Webb (pictured on the left), as he continues with his studies and develops his football skills. Kerr are one of London’s most established recruitment agencies, having been in business for nearly 40 years. The team specialise in multilingual recruitment, placing job seekers with employers all over London and the South East.
Branch Manager Jasmine Enteghami-Coulon says the staff at Kerr are really looking forward to getting involved with FEDO. ‘As a recruitment agency, we’re always encouraging our candidates to aim for their dream careers, so a scheme like FEDO is something we could always encourage here at Kerr.’
Jasmine continues, ‘We’re delighted to be able to support this initiative and hope that it encourages Nathan to captain the team to the best of his ability.’
For more information on Kerr Multilingual visit www.kerr-recruitment.com or call 0208 810 7839.
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