Northampton School for Boys Football - Super Year 7’s Crowned Double National Champions

On Monday 22nd May, the Northampton School for Boys U12A and U12B football teams were both crowned National Champions after winning their respective ESFA National Cup Finals.

NSB had appeared in eight ESFA National Schools Finals previously, but this was the first time the school achieved two national finals in the same year. Both games were staged at The Hawthorns, home of West Bromwich Albion on Monday 22nd May.

The U12A team beat Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School from Liverpool in the U12 ESFA PlayStation Elite Schools Cup Final. This cup is the highest level of competition for schools’ football at the Under 12 age group. To reach the final, the school had to win through 5 rounds of competition, against some of the best teams in the country, including a quarter-final trip to Torquay and semi-final victory in Croydon. In the final the team defended resolutely and attacked with pace and width. Tied 1-1 at half time, the NSB team came to dominate the second half and ran away with the title after a convincing 5-1 victory. With the team’s Captain, Charlie Ablett, being named ‘player of the match’.

The B Team beat Shenfield High School from Essex in the final of the U12 ESFA Cup for B Teams. The NSB U12B team are undefeated this year and they had scored 47 goals and conceded just 3 in the seven preceding rounds in this competition. The final was a tight affair and normal time ended 1-1 before the game progressed to penalties. In the shoot-out, the hero of the hour proved to be the NSB goalkeeper Jack Skolfield, who saved 2 of the Shenfield penalties, whilst NSB scored all 4 of their kicks to take the game 4-3.

These games take NSB to 5 National football titles in the past 10 years and reinforces the school as one of the top footballing schools in the country. These wins come just 2 months after the U15 Rugby team won the RFU U15 National Cup at Twickenham and this is proving to be another bumper year for sport at the school. The U16 Basketball Team and U18 Water Polo teams both reached national finals, Inter Boys placed 3rd in the National Schools Cross Country Cup Final and 12 different students took at least one Gold medal at this year’s National Indoor Rowing Championships.

NSB has established itself as one of the strongest schools for sport in England and all congratulations go to the 28 Year 7 footballers who helped cement that position this week and who can now class themselves as National Champions.