Well, what a few days it’s been. We’re well and truly swept up in World Cup fever here at Northumberland FA, and - after England’s quarter-final victory over Sweden on Saturday - we’re all dreaming of what could be possible at this year’s tournament.

More on that later, as I want to start this week’s column by discussing some opportunities currently available to coaches in Northumberland. Our FA Level 1 in Coaching Football courses are hugely popular up here in the North East, but just as important as getting coaches their first qualification is then signposting them to the next stage of their development – which, in most cases, is the FA Level 2.

Split into three blocks, this nationally recognised qualification follows directly on from the FA Level 1, focusing on the core components of the England DNA. Whilst the Level 1 provides an important introduction to coaching the game, the Level 2 encourages learners to begin shaping or refining their own coaching philosophy, considering both in possession and out of possession scenarios.

With courses currently scheduled to run at Kenton High School and Prudhoe Community High School, I strongly encourage aspiring coaches in the early stages of their careers to CLICK HERE for further information.

Meanwhile, three Tyne Metropolitan College students – including our Representative Squad’s Callum Harley – have recently been awarded US scholarships thanks to a unique partnership between the College’s North East Sports Academy and scholarship providers PASS4Soccer. These are fantastic achievements which illustrate the benefits available at TyneMet, so congratulations to all three. Please CLICK HERE to read more.

Finally, on behalf of everybody at Northumberland FA, I’d like to wish Gareth Southgate and his England side the very best of luck for their World Cup semi-final clash with Croatia on Wednesday; the nation is behind you!

John.

To keep up with our latest news via social media, please follow @NorthumFA on Twitter, or like Northumberland FA on Facebook.

You can also follow John personally on Twitter by connecting to his account - @NFACEO