BBC SPORT | Football | FA Cup | Students aspire to higher grade



By Bryn Palmer BBC Sport Online

Team Bath's progress to the first round of the FA Cup has already given the world's oldest knock-out competition a romantic glow for another year.

But the first student team to get beyond the qualifying stages for 122 years are no ordinary band of undergraduates.

Students make FA Cup progress

Team Bath has become a refuge for players either unable to make the grade at Premiership level, or released from clubs at the lower end of the professional spectrum.

And after Monday's penalty shoot-out victory over Horsham, they will have another day in the spotlight against Mansfield next month.

Team Bath manager Ged Roddy watches his charges against Horsham
Roddy watches his charges against Horsham

They are all enrolled on a full-time sports science course at the Roman town's university, but combine their studies with the training schedule of full-time pros.

Players start on a two-year HND, and can continue for another two years to a full degree.

"Clearly many professional footballers have never had the opportunity to go to university if they didn't have the qualifications, so this programme is specially designed for them," explains Team Bath manager Ged Roddy.

"At the end of the day, they are football-mad and still want to play football. We give them that opportunity, and also give them an education at the same time."

A typical day starts with training at 8.30am for a couple of hours, before lectures begin at 11.

The whole idea is that players will get the opportunity to go back into professional football

Team Bath manager Ged Roddy

The player's academic work continues until 2.30pm or three o'clock, when they come back for their second training session of the day.

"It is not such a cushy number," Roddy said. "While the pros are resting up, our players are having to work pretty hard mentally."

Among the current side, goalkeeper Ryan Northmore opted to forsake the last six months of his professional contract with Torquay United for Team Bath.

Then there is former Scotland Under-21 striker Barry Lavety, who arrived at Bath two years ago after 10 years in professional football with St Mirren and Hibernian.

Team Bath striker Barry Lavety in action against Horsham
Lavety is now training to become a PE teacher

"He came down and stayed with us for six months," Roddy recalls.

"We rehabbed him and got him a professional contract with Clydebank.

"But they released him at the end of his contract and he came back to us in the summer. He is now training to be a PE teacher."

Roddy is optimistic that several youngsters rejected by bigger clubs will find a way back into the league ranks via the Bath experience.

Matt Lewis, a Welsh Under-18 international winger, was formerly an apprentice at Coventry, and then Cardiff.

Safety net

Luke Prince, 22, was in the same Aston Villa youth team as Darius Vassell and Gareth Barry.

Carl Heiniger, a midfielder who came through the youth ranks at Manchester United and Newcastle, is another who Roddy believes is "a quality player".

So is he worried that another FA Cup upset over Mansfield will attract the attention of league scouts?

"Not at all," he insists. "The whole idea of the programme is that along the way these players will get the opportunity to go back into professional football.

"But if it doesn't work out, they have the safety net of coming back here to continue their studies."


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