Yesterday's Young Seagulls and Seagulls Priority Members Open Day proved a huge hit with both fans and players alike at the Amex.
The women's and men's squads each took part in an open training session at the stadium in front of an enthusiastic crowd, before signing autographs for the young fans.
Jake Forster-Caskey told seagulls.co.uk, “It was brilliant; it’s good for the players to give a little bit back and the fans can gain an insight into how we train.**
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“I was one of those young kids at one stage supporting the team and hopefully there are some future players out there today.”“It’s always nice to have people supporting you when you’re training, so the fans made a difference and it was good to meet some of the Young Seagulls.”
Republic of Ireland international Keith Andrews echoed the sentiments of his teammate and feels it is important for the players to have a good relationship with the fans from an early age.
He added, “I think events like these are very important, as some of these kids are going to support us for many years to come and potentially for the rest of their lives.
“It’s good to give something back to the community and for the fans to see the players train.
“We were all in the position at some stage as a kid and it’s good for them to see the players up close."
Returning striker Craig Mackail-Smith was also pleased with the turnout on the day and enjoyed training in front of a large crowd.
"It was great to see so many young fans come in and watch the boys train and they were able to get a glimpse of what we do every day.
"It's nice to have a bit of noise and it gives you a bit more impetus to try harder and put on a show for them."
For Will Hoskins, it was also a special occasion and a chance to train at the Amex after over a year out with a knee injury and admitted that the fans gave him a real boost.
"It’s nice to also to train in front of some people as there’s usually no-one watching us in training.* I really enjoyed it especially after being out for so long."
Albion’s women players were also part of the day and two of the side’s longest-serving players, Charlotte Sole and Charley Boswell commented on what a thrill it was to train at the Amex.
Charley said, “It was a lovely day and there was a real buzz amongst all the girls.
“I thought it was brilliant to finally get out on the pitch and we were really grateful for the opportunity to train at the stadium.
“On behalf of everyone, I would like to thank the people who made it possible.”
Charlotte added, “It was great to train at the Amex and it’s something we would definitely like to do more often in the future.
“We all loved being part of the event and experience what the first-team players do on a daily basis.”
For the fans like nine-year-old, Ethan Kenward it was an unforgettable experience and a chance to see their heroes in action.
"The highlight of the day for me was watching the players train on the Amex pitch.
“It was great to see what they do in training and I was impressed by Kazenga LuaLua and Casper Ankergren. There was also lots to do in the concourse and I took part in the penalty shoot-out scoring two of my three goals.
“I also signed the banner for the Family Stand and I had a really good time. I've been to all the Open Days so far at the Amex and they just get better and better!"
Original article
The women's and men's squads each took part in an open training session at the stadium in front of an enthusiastic crowd, before signing autographs for the young fans.
Jake Forster-Caskey told seagulls.co.uk, “It was brilliant; it’s good for the players to give a little bit back and the fans can gain an insight into how we train.**
*
“I was one of those young kids at one stage supporting the team and hopefully there are some future players out there today.”“It’s always nice to have people supporting you when you’re training, so the fans made a difference and it was good to meet some of the Young Seagulls.”
Republic of Ireland international Keith Andrews echoed the sentiments of his teammate and feels it is important for the players to have a good relationship with the fans from an early age.
He added, “I think events like these are very important, as some of these kids are going to support us for many years to come and potentially for the rest of their lives.
“It’s good to give something back to the community and for the fans to see the players train.
“We were all in the position at some stage as a kid and it’s good for them to see the players up close."
Returning striker Craig Mackail-Smith was also pleased with the turnout on the day and enjoyed training in front of a large crowd.
"It was great to see so many young fans come in and watch the boys train and they were able to get a glimpse of what we do every day.
"It's nice to have a bit of noise and it gives you a bit more impetus to try harder and put on a show for them."
For Will Hoskins, it was also a special occasion and a chance to train at the Amex after over a year out with a knee injury and admitted that the fans gave him a real boost.
"It’s nice to also to train in front of some people as there’s usually no-one watching us in training.* I really enjoyed it especially after being out for so long."
Albion’s women players were also part of the day and two of the side’s longest-serving players, Charlotte Sole and Charley Boswell commented on what a thrill it was to train at the Amex.
Charley said, “It was a lovely day and there was a real buzz amongst all the girls.
“I thought it was brilliant to finally get out on the pitch and we were really grateful for the opportunity to train at the stadium.
“On behalf of everyone, I would like to thank the people who made it possible.”
Charlotte added, “It was great to train at the Amex and it’s something we would definitely like to do more often in the future.
“We all loved being part of the event and experience what the first-team players do on a daily basis.”
For the fans like nine-year-old, Ethan Kenward it was an unforgettable experience and a chance to see their heroes in action.
"The highlight of the day for me was watching the players train on the Amex pitch.
“It was great to see what they do in training and I was impressed by Kazenga LuaLua and Casper Ankergren. There was also lots to do in the concourse and I took part in the penalty shoot-out scoring two of my three goals.
“I also signed the banner for the Family Stand and I had a really good time. I've been to all the Open Days so far at the Amex and they just get better and better!"
Original article