Centres of Excellence tour to St. George’s Park

“I have had excellent service as always. We used the sites as sources of historical evidence to aid GCSE performance. All aspects of the trip...”

Patrick, History Teacher, Hampshire

“Club Europe offer a great personal service, helpful and always proactive and patient. They are really positive and professional.”

Alexandra, Head of Physics, Alleyn’s School London

A truly inspirational base

A football tour at the FA’s national football centre St. George’s Park just outside Burton upon Trent is a truly inspirational base for our young football squads.

Built in 2012, this £105m facility, set in 330-acres of Staffordshire countryside, is the home to all of England’s 27 national teams. With 13 outdoor pitches, including a replica of the Wembley surface, a full-size indoor 3G pitch, a suite of rehabilitation and sports science areas, and an indoor futsal arena, St. George’s Park provides world-class facilities for all England teams ahead of international fixtures.

Sample itinerary

Availability of tickets for professional matches will be dictated by tour dates.

Day 1

Arrive in Manchester. Explore this vibrant city and its National Football Museum.

Day 2

Visit Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, for a stadium and museum tour. Enjoy lunch in the Red Café. Free time and see a professional match. (Availability of tickets for professional matches will be dictated by tour dates).

Day 3

Transfer to St. George’s Park for The Ultimate St George’s Park experience. Free time to relax.

Day 4

Make the most of St. George’s Park facilities by playing a match against a local team. In the afternoon let off some steam at the Outdoor Leadership Centre with a game of laser combat.

Day 5

Enjoy a day at Alton Towers theme park.

Day 6

Depart for school.

Teams can hire the Centre’s facilities to organise and play a match against local teams. Depending on tour dates, you can also take part in One Tournament. One Tournament takes place over the course of one day and there are 2 types of tournaments – One Tournament England Experience, played at St. George’s Park, and One Tournament Nationals, a new regional grassroots competition for U8 and U15. The winners progress to St. George’s Park for the National Finals.

Extra activities and excursions

Browse a selection of our favourite activities and excursions.

The Elite Athlete Centre - Enjoy a workshop, campus tour or training session at this world-class centre at Loughborough University
Etihad Stadium tour
Cadbury World

Highlights of the St. George’s Park experience include

A tour of the National Football Centre
Use of changing room
Use of an indoor or outdoor 3G pitch for the session
A FIFA 11+ Warm up and dynamic movement session on the running track. A complete warm-up programme that reduces injuries as well as teaching correct posture and good body control
A fun-based football activity with an FA Licensed coach, designed to be fully bespoke for your team - A hydrotherapy session taking you through the same routine as a professional sports team. After stability and recovery work in the vario pool, you will also experience the physiological benefits when using the hot and cold contrast pools

St. George’s Park’s Outdoor Leadership Centre offers teams the opportunity to let off steam through activities such as high ropes, low ropes, laser combat and archery.

A stay at St. George’s Park can be complemented with time spent in Manchester to enjoy the variety of excursions the city has to offer.

Where to stay

Popular places to stay.

The Hilton at St George’s Park is the National Football Centre’s on-site accommodation within the grounds of the park and the heart of the National Forest. The hotel’s innovative guestrooms are ideal for teams. Students can unwind in the hotel’s swimming pool after a day of football. Packed lunches can be provided to allow flexibility during the day.

Alternatively, groups can stay in youth hostels in the nearby cities of Birmingham and Manchester.

Watch our films

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about planning a school sports tour.

Watch all our films

Darren Horsman talks about organising a football tour

FAQs

Find the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

We can include as many matches as you wish.

We agree a three-stage process so that payments can be staggered to make it easier for parents.

You should book your tour between 8-18 months in advance. This will give us time to secure the best possible accommodation, matches and excursion programme for your tour and you will have ample time for fundraising should you need to do so.

“Professional, courteous, committed and fun. Many thanks Club Europe for a first class experience.”

Nick Howe, St Paul’s Junior School, London

“A caring operator who worked hard for the boys to get a great experience and develop their football at the same time.”

Tom Whitehead, Head of Football, Dulwich College

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