Dallam and GT7 Football Academy

Introducing the Dallam Football Academy

Dallam Boarding School is excited to launch its brand-new Football Academy for boys and girls aged 11-18, offering an exceptional 39-week programme designed to develop both elite and aspiring footballers. Whether your goal is to play professionally or pursue a career in sports media, coaching, physiotherapy, or refereeing, our Academy provides enrichment far beyond the game itself.

Our partnership includes:

Skills and technical ability
Led by UEFA-qualified coaches
Fitness sessions and classroom theory sessions
Branded football academy kit
Sessions held on and off site
Excellent facilities across our two campuses

Weekly programme:

Monday: Football skills sessions on our state-of-the-art 3G pitches
Wednesday: Gym-based strength and conditioning, tailored for individual and position-specific development
Friday: Football analytics, where we review training performance or study match tactics, with live or recorded match analysis

The Academy isn’t just about playing football; it’s about building a foundation for the future, whether you’re on the pitch or off it. As part of the programme, you’ll have the chance to work towards initial coaching qualifications, overseen by the Westmorland FA, further enhancing your knowledge and career prospects in the sports industry.

What to expect:

Individual player development focused on positional skills and team play
Competitive fixtures in a variety of formats, including the exciting new 3-on-3 games
Opportunities to compete with local teams
A supportive community where players build lifelong friendships and discover sport as a source of joy and personal growth

As part of the Dallam Football Academy, students can explore pathways into professional football clubs. Through our connections with numerous professional clubs, players will gain invaluable insights into the world of professional football, with chances to be scouted and attend club-run development sessions. In addition, the Academy offers extracurricular visits to evening and weekend matches, where students can experience live football at its best and study the game in real-time. These visits are supported by the expert guidance of the GT7 coaching team, ensuring that each player benefits from professional-level mentorship and can see first-hand what it takes to succeed professionally.

Meet some of the GT7 team

Garry Thompson

Garry is UEFA B qualified and is currently working towards his UEFA A licence in football coaching. ‘Thommo’ is a Cumbrian lad who played his junior football for Wattsfield in Kendal before going on to make over 700 senior appearances for clubs such as Scunthorpe, Bradford, Notts County and Wycombe Wanderers, playing at Wembley 5 times in games such as the League cup and playoff finals. The experienced winger resigned for his first professional club Morecambe FC in the summer of 2017, where he played a crucial role in the Shrimps’ promotion to the football league back in 2007.

Shaun Gardner

UEFA B qualified coach Shaun has played over 400 semi-professionals games at clubs such as Bradford Park Avenue, AFC Liverpool, Kendal Town and Penrith AFC. Shaun set up his own successful coaching business (No.7 Coaching) around 9 years ago, going into schools providing specialist PE lessons and after school clubs. The former Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers trialist has also had coaching and managerial experience in the men’s game at Bradford, Kendal Town and Penrith, as well as coaching at the CONIFA World Cup in 2018, which took place in London.