Young Pros Set For East Asia Tour

[Steven]

Let's hope they behave themselves. :icon_wink Good opportunity though.

http://www.lcfc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10274~2769268,00.html

Young Pros Set For East Asia Tour
Posted on: Fri 11 May 2012

Some of City's promising young professionals will depart for the Far East this Sunday, as they embark on a post-season tour of Thailand and Hong Kong.

Led by Academy Director Jon Rudkin at the invitation of the Club's Thai owners Vichai and Aiyawatt Raksriaksorn, a squad including Martyn Waghorn, Liam Moore, Tom Hopper and Harry Panayiotou will experience some of the amazing sights of Bangkok, before heading to Hong Kong to compete in the Citibank International HKFC Soccer Sevens.

The group will then return to Bangkok, where they will face a possible friendly against Thai Premier League opposition towards the end of their 11-day trip.

"It will certainly be a different experience for the players," said Jon ahead of the trip this week.

"Experiencing football in a region that is culturally different, playing against a different style and coping with the heat and conditions will all be part of a great opportunity to broaden their education. We're very much looking forward to it.

"It's also a great opportunity for the lads to learn a little bit about King Power - an operation I'm sure they will all be really impressed with."

The visit to Thailand will be the first for a group of players since the first team squad's successful tour in October 2010, where they received an incredible welcome as guests of the Chairman and Vice Chairman.
Liam Moore and Martyn Waghorn

Liam Moore and Martyn Waghorn will both be in the squad travelling to Thailand and Hong Kong.

"The owners have obviously put a huge amount into Leicester City, so for us to be able to go over there and learn a bit about Thai culture and how King Power operates before the tournament is a great opportunity," said defender Liam Moore.

"The first team lads that went over a couple of years ago told us how well looked after they were during their trip so we're all looking forward to seeing it. For us young players, it will be an amazing experience."

Following their three-day stay in Bangkok, the squad will head to Hong Kong to begin preparations for the HKFC Soccer Sevens, where they will compete against West Ham United, Celtic and a HKFC Captain's Select VII in Saturday's group stages. The knockout stage of the competition takes place the following day (Sunday 20 May).

Other UK-based participants in the tournament include Chelsea, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Rangers.

Their return to Bangkok will see a potential 11-a-side friendly against Thai Premier League opposition on Tuesday 22 May, before the travelling party returns to the UK on Wednesday 23.

 

[Mawsley]

How can Rangers afford the air tickets?

 

[FOX Franks]

How can Rangers afford the air tickets?

They are digging a big hole all the way through the earth.

 

[st albans fox]

they may not learn much about football but a few nights in bangkok and hong kong will be a new 'life experience' for a lot of them!! at their age, shouldn't do them too much damage. richie wellens would probably need next season off !! (i recall last july seeing blackburn in the lounge at hk airport. i asked a couple of them if they had managed to get out to wan chai and they smiled. strangely, those two players have had a particularly poor season.!)

 

[H T B]

they may not learn much about football but a few nights in bangkok and hong kong will be a new 'life experience' for a lot of them!! at their age, shouldn't do them too much damage. richie wellens would probably need next season off !! (i recall last july seeing blackburn in the lounge at hk airport. i asked a couple of them if they had managed to get out to wan chai and they smiled. strangely, those two players have had a particularly poor season.!)

Programme starting on Monday night on Sky1 about ladyboys.
Might give them some ideas.

 

[Steven]

they may not learn much about football but a few nights in bangkok and hong kong will be a new 'life experience' for a lot of them!! at their age, shouldn't do them too much damage. richie wellens would probably need next season off !! (i recall last july seeing blackburn in the lounge at hk airport. i asked a couple of them if they had managed to get out to wan chai and they smiled. strangely, those two players have had a particularly poor season.!)

That has calmed down a lot under the Chinese. Personally I go drinking in Lan Kwai Fong. :icon_bigg

 

[st albans fox]

That has calmed down a lot under the Chinese. Personally I go drinking in Lan Kwai Fong. :icon_bigg

who's talking about drinking ??

 

[Steven]

They seem to be getting the treatment. :icon_bigg


Asia Tour: A Remarkable Thai Welcome

 

[Matt_B]

Through to the quarter finals after beating West Ham 1-0, drawing with Celtic 1-1 and beating Hong Kong 2-0.

 

[lcfcrules]

Went to watch the young foxes play this morning, some decent football played.

Waghorn looked pretty lively, scored a penalty and hit the crossbar with a lop after skinning past two defenders, but then again, he was playing againast kids or semi-pros.

Liam Moore scoring a half volley via route one football was another highlight.

Harry Panayiotou didn't play though, seems to be injured.

Teddy Sheringham also made a guest appearance for some semi-professional team for charity.

 

[Steven]

From the OS.

Day One Success At Hong Kong Sevens
Posted on: Sat 19 May 2012

City's youngsters made an excellent start to their Hong Kong Sevens challenge on Saturday, as they advanced into Sunday's knockout stages as group winners.

Two wins and a draw from their three group fixtures in the Happy Valley was an impressive return from the Foxes, who are competing in the competition for the first time, as they battled sweltering heat and tough opposition to stamp their authority on Group B.

A Martyn Waghorn goal was enough to give City a 1-0 win over West Ham United in their opening fixture, before Tom Parkes and Tom Hopper hit the target in a 2-0 victory over a HKFC Captain's Select VII. They concluded the opening day with a 1-1 draw against 2011 finalists Celtic - Liam Moore the Foxes' fourth different scorer of the competition already.

Topping the group sends City in the quarter-finals of Sunday's cup competition alongside Celtic, where they will meet the runners-up in Group D, which contains Newcastle United, Aston Villa, HKFA Dragons and tournament hosts Hong Kong Football Club. The knockout stages also see the length of games increase from seven minutes each way, to ten.

"It's been a terrific day," Academy Director Jon Rudkin told lcfc.com.

"Given that this is the boys' first experience of the competitive seven-a-side format, they deserve a lot of credit for how quickly they have adapted, particularly against West Ham, who are one of the leading contenders, and Celtic, who reached last year's final.


"The games have been action-packed and played in near 36-degree heat, which has been a challenge in itself, but the boys have used their heads when it comes to using the ball and come out of it as group winners. It's been hot, humid and we've had heavy rain at times, but every team has had to adapt.

"The facility here at Hong Kong Football Club is outstanding and the standard of football has matched it. There are some well-established players here with various clubs, along with younger ones tasting this kind of experience for the first time.

"It's a fantastic tournament and we'll try to go as far as we can in it on Sunday."

 

[GazLCFC]

Lost to Villa in quarter final (aet). Beat Hong Kong in Plate Semi-Final. Now play Chelsea in Plate Final.

 

[Steven]

Young Pros Secure Sevens Shield

Young Pros Secure Sevens Shield
Posted on: Sun 20 May 2012

City's young pros ended this weekend's Hong Kong Sevens with some silverware, after beating Chelsea in the tournament's Shield Final.

A dramatic extra-time golden goal from striker Tom Hopper secured the Foxes' triumph, as they finished a fantastic competition with a flourish in the Happy Valley.

City, who advanced to Sunday's knockout stages as Group B winners, had earlier been on the receiving end of a golden goal as they were beaten by Aston Villa in the quarter-finals of the Cup competition.

But their exit sent them straight into the Shield, where they beat a Hong Kong Select in a rain-interrupted semi-final before triumphing over Chelsea in the final.



The squad celebrate following the win over Chelsea, which secured them the Hong Kong Sevens Shield.

"It was a terrific end to what really has been an outstanding tournament," Academy Director Jon Rudkin told lcfc.com. "The lads deserve a lot of credit for the way they have performed throughout the weekend.

"Adapting to the seven-a-side concept and learning how to play in temperatures of up to 37 degrees has been a real challenge for the players and we've learned a lot about their characters throughout the trip.

"The defeat to Villa was our first loss of the competition and that in itself proved a different experience. In extra-time, the games were reduced to four-a-side, which was another amazing concept. We had the first attack and couldn't finish it. Villa then went to the other end and scored.

"But the lads learned from it, which helped us when the Shield final got to the same stage and this time we managed to come out on top."

Goals from Tom Parkes and Martyn Waghorn had put City in control of their Cup quarter-final, but Villa recovered impressively to snatch their victory in extra time.

That set up an extraordinary Shield semi-final against a Hong Kong Select side, which was halted by an incredible tropical storm which saw temperatures plummet to the mid-twenties and the artificial surface temporarily waterlogged.

After a 25-minute delay, goals from Pierre Larrauri and Waghorn secured the Foxes' place in the final.

There they had to twice come from behind against a talented Chelsea outfit as goals from Liam Moore and Hopper took the game into extra-time, where Hopper slotted his sudden death winner on the breakaway.

The squad's tour of East Asia returns to Thailand on Monday, where they will begin preparations for an 11-a-side game against Thai Premier League side Pattaya United on Tuesday.

 

[Foxes_Trust]

Trust Match Report on the final game

http://foxestrust.co.uk/1575/asia-tour-finishes-with-draw#more-1575