Welcome To Soccer Elite FA

Mike Wilkins - MBE 

Gillingham FC - Youth Development

I am very proud and pleased to work closely with Soccer Elite FA. I was the Director of Sports at the University of Kent for thirty-five years and have been involved in coaching football even longer. I was Director of the Chelsea FC Centre of Excellence for eleven years before moving to Gillingham FC in 2002.
 
Soccer Elite FA are very important to the Gillingham FC Youth Department. Consistently supplying the Gillingham FC Youth Department with players of all ages and play regular matches against Gillingham FC.
 
I organise the Gillingham FC Advance Centre for under 8s. The highlight of the season is watching the matches between Soccer Elite FA and Gillingham u8s and especially watching the young outstanding players that Lee and Tony always bring to Canterbury. We have always recruited players from Soccer Elite FA. There are now Soccer Elite players in most age groups in the Gillingham FC Youth Teams. It will not be long before a Soccer Elite FA player makes his first team debut.
 
I have known Lee Spiller and his brother Danny, who plays for Millwall FC, since they were young outstanding players when both attended the Chelsea FC Centre of Excellence. I am really pleased that Lee, after a career in professional football, is now giving something back to football. Lee is one of the best coaches working in youth football. Not only does he understand football but, because of attending the Chelsea FC Centre of Excellence, he has insight into what it feels like for a young player to be in a very competitive situation.
 
Lee and Tony Browne, another excellent coach, run Soccer Elite FA. It is one of the most professionally organised football schools that I have ever worked with.  Indeed, I would go so far as to say it is one of the best schools from any sports schools /camps I have ever worked with in my thirty-five years at the University of Kent, and that is a lot of schools!
 
Lee and Tony have an excellent rapport with their players. Their enthusiasm and joy in coaching football is reflected in their players. It is also easy to understand why they command so much respect from both players and parents.
 
I think the highest compliment I could give would be that if my son was of an age to attend a Soccer School; my first choice would be Soccer Elite FA.
 
Mike Wilkins MBE.