Wood Chairman Danny Hunter said “This contract is simply an endorsement of a vision and is testament to so many people’s hard work. What been achieved in the past and what we’ll achieve with our education partners in the future, is nothing short of phenomenal. What we’ve created here makes me very proud, as we started with nothing and have formulated an education and sporting hub that has only ever been about the student/footballer. That’s why I insist it’s free and accessible to every scholar aged 16 to 18 and why it’s the envy of many who attempt to mirror what we do.
“Our partnership with Barnet and Southgate College, its Principal David Byrne and all the teaching and coaching staff, is key to our success and it’s based on great attitudes, great discipline and an ongoing desire to improve, to achieve and to excel. In truth it’s a scheme that has changed or will change young people’s lives. So I’m naturally very proud of what’s been achieved here in the past, proud to still be driving it forward at present and even prouder to drive it on further in the future.“Our partnership with the College over the next three years secures the future of the scheme but we will not stand still. I will still be looking at ways to improve ourselves further, as It’s a scheme that has evolved and surpassed my hopes and my expectations, as it’s gone to new levels of achievement and success.“We can now point to a 15 year history of unrivalled success and 14 straight years of record recruitment numbers. In simple terms it means we are meeting both our students and our education partner’s needs and doing so much right. In truth our recruitment campaign is not so difficult as it once was, as it is predominantly driven by word of mouth and by recommendation. It’s also an environment that creates student retention, it creates student ambition and it then leads to our incredible success rates.“Importantly though I have never wanted to compromise my philosophy that investment in our facilities, our staff, our scholars and our infrastructure would be key to our students future. My belief in the recruitment of top level staff has genuinely shaped the scheme and that philosophy has, I believe, contributed to those incredible course successes and our retention rates that we boast about says it all.The Boreham Wood Chairman, who founded the PASE Scheme back in 2002, ended up by saying, “The fact is even by our standards, this year promises to be something very special, as we are on course to again announce course success and student retention rates of above 93% and, when you add in our football accomplishments, it’s incredible what is being achieved here.“We as a football entity are again on course to win multiple league titles and multiple cup competitions. We have 7 current students who have progressed into our first team squad at National League level this season alone. We have produced another three England College Internationals in this academic year, including the England captain, while we are in still in the two very prestigious National Cup competitions that we entered.“We are also about to announce that another two of our elite students have won Scholarships to the United States and another one of our talented Academy players Ben Goodliffe, has now signed and will soon be joining Championship giants Wolverhampton Wanderers upon completion of his education.“So to say I’m proud to be the founder of our PASE scheme that changes youngsters lives, is a real understatement. That said we must remain focused and not rest on our laurels, we must look to the future and continue both our investment and our growth. That’s why I’m so proud to announce this contract extension and so proud that my partnership not only with the College, but with my very good friend and College Principal David Byrne will continue until 2020.
College Principal David Byrne said “Barnet and Southgate College is excited to be working with Boreham Wood Football Club for another three years on an innovative sports education partnership for 16-18 year olds. He added: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to play football at a challenging level and at the same time gain a qualification. “The football club has great contacts and previous students have caught the eye of England College selectors, professional clubs and achieved football scholarships in the USA, while others have gone on to university’.
