M&HJFL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 2009/10 & 2010/11

Woolton Diamonds started playing matches in 2005 & will be competing at under 14 level from September 2011.

The 2010/11 season was a very difficult one for Diamonds for a number of reasons. Niall Ward sustained a serious knee injury in an innocuous tackle on 14 November and was to miss the rest of the campaign. He is now on the road to recovery and making good progress and is joining in training sessions without physical contact and we hope to see him back in action in the near future. As if this long term injury was not bad enough the team were devastated by the sudden and tragic death of their team mate, and manager's son, Oliver King on 2 March. Ollie and his family will always be in our thoughts. The photos of Ollie above were taken at the Woolton FC Presentation Day in 2008 & on Diamonds trip to France in 2009. Ollie's number 8 shirt has been retired as a mark of honour, an annual award in his name will be given to the Parents Player of the Year, and the under 13 age group of the M&HJFL will compete annually for the Oliver King Memorial Trophy. It was fitting that Diamonds won the trophy in their final match of the 2010/11 season. Diamonds not only won the trophy named in memory of Oliver but also became league champions and winners of the Divisional Cup to complete a memorable treble. The boys showed terrific character in overcoming the difficulties that they encountered and winning the treble is a fantastic achievement. Added to the double that they won the previous season it goes to show the quality of this group of boys who should be proud of their performances both on and off the pitch.

Diamonds have enjoyed a number of successes throughout the years of their existence and a full list of honours can be viewed near the top of this page. Although trophy success has been achieved, and is a deserved reward for the lads efforts, the most important measure of their success is their continued progression and development. Unfortunately the league was less competitive during 2010/11 than in the past due to the loss of a number of teams for varying reasons. Although Diamonds have always competed in the Merseyside League, in it's different guises, a decision has been made to move to the Belle Vale League next season in order to give the boys the competitive football which they need in order to ensure their continued progression and development. The boys are looking forward to the new challenge.

Diamonds enjoyed a fantastic trip to the south of France in May 2009 where they finished 5th in a high quality tournament and were presented with the fair play award by their hosts (see France pages for details) and they put on an excellent display to win the Liam Costello Woolton Tournament at the end of that month.

Diamonds have retained the core of their squad for several years and some of the lads have been together since the age of 4/5. They are a friendly and welcoming bunch of lads and there is a great team spirit and, as with the majority of teams, they are always on the lookout for quality additions to the squad. Places are very limited but if anyone is up for a new challenge with one of the premier teams in the city then feel free to make contact.

The management team of Mark King and Paul Burke will be expecting the lads to maintain the high standards that they have set for themselves and will be anticipating that they will give a good account of themselves when they move to the Belle Vale League next season.

Woolton Diamonds are members of Woolton Football Club, an F A Charter Standard Community Club which is based at Camp Hill, Woolton in Liverpool. There are 40+ teams that operate from the club between the ages of 7 to 18 and in addition there is an open age and veterans team. There are three other teams in Woolton Diamonds age group: Athletic, Gold and Vinci. There is also coaching provided for under 7's each Saturday morning, together with the other age groups, at the Camp Hill grounds. The club has an an open door policy and welcomes anyone, within the age groups, to join in the training sessions.

Woolton Diamonds are pleased to announce that they will be sponsored by Mantank Environmental Services Ltd for a third consecutive year during the 2011/12 season. Please visit the Sponsorship & Links page for further details and for a link to the Mantank website.