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The next generation of English talent could well be made up of players from one forward thinking football club in west London, who have an impressive track record

By James Daly

In a little corner of west London things have turned decidedly South American. On an astroturf under the A33 overpass, Samba Street Soccer founder Andrew Amers-Morrison and his coaches are taking their players through their paces.

But this isn't just any group of budding young footballers; these kids regularly beat the best London has to offer and are routinely on trials at professional clubs, yet all come from just around the corner of the Westminster Academy where today 40 or so kids are being coached.

Since 2005, 20 boys who have played for Samba have ended up with professional contracts at League clubs, one girl has been handed a scholarship in America and clubs like Manchester United and Inter are constantly on the phone. Meanwhile, 140 have been sent on trials, so what makes a tiny corner of London such a hotbed for footballing talent?

"This is our secret," says Andrew grabbing two footballs and handing them to me. They are two smaller, heavier futsal-style balls that don't bounce when they hit the floor and are the type used across South America. The likes of Pele, Maradona, Eusebio, Robinho and Ronaldinho were all brought up on balls like this. And through his work with the Mexico national team and across the world Andrew has come across plenty of pros who still champion them.

"People like Carlos Vela, they swear by these balls, they believe that these balls are what separate them from the rest of the world," he adds.

"We've successfully transformed futsal from a hard court surface into muddy pitches, 11-a-side with boots. They say you shouldn't be able to do futsal stuff on a grass pitch in boots, that's why it is an indoor game but we've proved that wrong! We've done that by only losing one game on our way to winning the title.

"I would never coach any style of football other than this one, simply because I haven’t seen another style of coach who develops players to the same level. There’s no point being a player unless you’re planning on progressing. If you’re just playing for fun or because you don’t want to be picked on at school, that’s fine. We’re happy with that, because then at least we know where you stand and what your mentality is. But for those who want to improve, we can give you all the attributes you need."

And we are just around the corner from where it all started for Andrew. Five years ago, he was a frustrated, injured semi-professional kicking a ball around on his own at Westbourne Green's Brunel Estate when it flew over the fence.

"It landed near some kids and I thought 'Well, I'm not getting that back'," he said. "But instead they asked if they could join in. From there is just mushroomed to what we have today."



Andrew should know more than most about the game, having had spells coaching at Fulham, as assistant to Mexico coach Hugo Sanchez and even as head coach of the Seychelles national team.

"I get inspiration from any and every coach. I don’t only learn from the big names. I’ll go to a local team in Ruislip and watch their training sessions to see if their coach has got something there that I can add to my training. As far as we’re concerned, as coaches we’re always learning. Always, always learning, and we have to keep learning in order to improve these kids as players, because not every child is the same. From how we treat one kid to how we treat another, the overall picture is the same but the actual development to the individual is totally different.

"None of these kids are losers as far as I’m concerned, and I make sure every single one of them knows that no matter what happens anywhere else on this planet, ‘here you’re worth something, here you’re valued and here you’re wanted’.

"The only difference between us and everyone else is that we actually care" - Andrew Amers-Morrison

"The only difference between us and everyone else is that we actually care. We’re not just here to coach them and get paid, because every single one of us does this voluntarily. It’s not about money, it’s about developing these guys. Other than us, no one gives a s***, and that’s the God’s honest truth. There are also clear lines of discipline. Every child knows we’re here for them, but they also know we’re not their mum or their dad.

"The good thing about it is that even if they end up filling shelves at Tesco, they know how to work as a team, they know how to communicate, they know how to turn up on time, so it’s not just football we’re giving them, it’s everything. Some of the kids don’t talk outside of their homes, but when they’re here, they come out of their skins."

And as fellow coach Richard Boswell get the kids to work on their foot skills, Andrew admits that with success comes frustrations; mostly directed at the top professional clubs.

"It’s a conveyer belt to [the clubs]. They’re looking for ready-made players, and as far as the academy manager is concerned, he’s got to produce results, so he’s not interested in developing anyone. He wants players who are already formed.

"I feel blessed by what we’ve achieved in five years. When we started, most of these kids had never played for another club and we had to buy them football boots and trainers! Some of them had never played in football boots, in a football kit or with a referee, not in the community, not in their schools or youth clubs. Now we have 20 players at professional clubs, which is a fantastic achievement. To have the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Fulham and Inter Milan all interested in our kids is an achievement on its own."

But with his teams ready to enter country-wide competitions and prove that the South American influence is the way forward, Andrew admits that his players are learning more than just impressive football skills.

"For me personally, I think football is the most common denominator, especially with the language of it being so universal," he adds. "It has to be, because it’s not just developing players here, it’s developing players in every corner of the world. It’s helping them to communicate, to work as a team, to work on their own individual input. It teaches you so many things.

"The way I see it, in every place on the planet, this is what football is doing, and in every place on the planet there is a coach just like me who is trying to do exactly what I’m doing. I’m not the only guy around who’s trying to do what I’m doing. There are plenty of good coaches out there."

Photography: Seb Daly

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