Abu Dhabi boys ready for Europe

They have conquered the domestic scene and are now looking to make their mark in Europe. No, we are not talking about any professional football club here but an energetic team of under-15 boys called the Abu Dhabi Thistle FC.

Formed two years ago by a group of dads seeking to provide their children with the opportunity to play competitive football, the club has rapidly grown into a solid unit with a perpetual hunger for silverware. The 2007/08 season saw the Thistle under-15 lads win five out of six tournaments that they competed in across the Gulf region.

The one time they lost was in the final to the youth team of professional club side Al Jazira. And as next month’s Galway Umbro Cup in Ireland draws nearer, team captain Alex Macdonald is confident the side - who are the first team from the Middle East to play in the tournament - will give their opponents a run for their money.

Motivated bunch

"We have quite a good chance. We have never played any Irish clubs before. There is competition here but it’s not as competitive as teams in Britain and Ireland," said the winger.

Attributing the team’s sparkling performances to the camaraderie within a squad that includes nationalities from the UK, Europe, Lebanon and the Emirates, Macdonald said: "We have good individual players but we work together and we’re more motivated than other sides. We’re solid at the back and creative in front and our coaches motivate us a lot as well. We don’t hate each other and are good friends outside football as well," he joked.

That the team has never lacked ideas in front of goal is largely due to the striking partnership of Karim Tayara and Joe Hanson. The duo have each scored over 20 goals through the season. With next month’s tournament being Hanson’s last for the club, his partner is determined to ensure he leaves on a good note. "I try to set him up as much as I can so he can score the goals. I don’t think we’ll find another striker of his level," said Tayara.

Team manager Archie Young and head coach Paul Roberts have enjoyed the team’s successes as much as the boys. "We’ve had a great time coaching the boys. We’ve had a lot of laughs with them and they’ve given us a lot of joy," said Young.

He added: "[The Galway Cup] is a prestigious tournament. To win it would top it off but the whole idea of starting the club was because there was a lack of competitive football for young boys here. So what we’ve been trying to do is set up competitive leagues to see how far our league has come compared to the boys from Europe."

Thistle triumphs

• The Onion Bag tournament (Jebel Ali) - which included 16 teams throughout the Gulf region
• Jebel Ali International Youth League (Winter)
• The Onion Bag tournament (Bahrain)
• Tournoi Ecole Francaise De Football - local Abu Dhabi tournament which their under-13 side also won.
• Jebel Ali International Youth League (Summer)

Targets for the coming season

• Arranging major sponsorship for the club
• Expanding to include younger age groups (U-9 & U-11)
• Strengthening the existing U-13 and U-15 squads
• Improving the training equipment
• Improving training facilities for the older boys
• Arranging for the club to take part in a tournament in the Far East

What they say

Archie Young (Manager)

"We’ve had a great time coaching the boys. We’ve had a lot of laughs with them and they’ve given us a lot of joy."

Karim Tayara (Player)

"I try to set him [Hanson] up as much as I can so he can score the goals. I don’t think we’ll find another striker of his level."

Alex Macdonald (Capt)

"We have good individual players but we work together and we’re more motivated than other sides."