Patrick Satorie had a great adventure spending almost 4 weeks in the UK, firstly on tour with Melbourne Football Stars and then visiting some clubs completing come dedicated goalkeeper training.Patrick arrived in the UK touring with Melbourne Football Stars. This trip was great although the excessive cold snap meant games and training was quite difficult.
When Patrick completed his tour, he then started his clubs visits. Patrick fist visited Brentford FC. Patrick did very well here, but the weather in the UK limited Patricks time at Brentford.
Patrick moved onto his second club in the UK, Charlton Athletic FC. The goalkeeper coach PFT know at Charlton was walking out the door the day Patrick arrived to take a new job as the Newcastle United FC senior goalkeeper coach. Patrick had to adjust quickly to the new environment and new staff and he soon settled in.
Patrick got to train with the U18?s and then worked with the full compliment of goalkeepers at Charlton including Rob Elliot the first team goalkeeper. Patrick showed enough in his training that Charlton played for 20minutes in a U19?s game against Barnet and he did very well.
From his time at Charlton, Patrick was offered a contact at Chelsea Academy of which Patrick promptly phones. Patrick was invited to train at Chelsea FC. Pat was able to train at Chelsea for two days and walked away with such a good reputation, he now has a open invitation to visit them again.
Well done Patrick
Thomas Dunn and Cameron Salik was fortunate enough to get a chance of a lifetime in visiting three professional clubs in November and December 2010.
Both Thomas and Cameron trained at Swindon Town FC and Everton FC. Feedback from the coaching staff at both clubs were very positive with Swindon Town FC?s goalkeeper coach, George Wood, commenting, ?I am always very pleased in having boys visiting us who have such good hands?. George went on to say ?It is very rare for us to have such good goalkeepers walking in off the street to train at Swindon Town?. So impressed with the boys standards, George allowed Cameron and Thomas to train with the first team after seeing them for 20 minutes
Cameron and Thomas then visited Everton FC for a week long trial. Staying in ?digs? and mucking in with the local boys, Cameron and Thomas soon settled in for the week ahead. Not withstanding the dramatic change in environments, Cameron and Thomas also had to contend with the ridiculous English winter that was hitting -10 degrees and leaving the boys with rock hard icy pitches to train on.The Everton experience went very well for both Cameron and Thomas (allowing that Cameron injured his hand in the first 20mins of the first session there). Feedback from the coaching staff there advised the boys completed very well, but they were not better that what Everton already has.
In the final week of the adventure for Cameron and Thomas, Cameron headed to Peterborough United FC and Thomas to Newcastle United FC. Due to the poor weather in the UK, Peterborough United cancelled all its training for that week and Cameron, not left with many other options, returned to Australia and some sunshine.
Thomas Dunn headed to Newcastle United FC and due to having artificial indoor fields, it was business as usual. Thomas spent with Newcastle and got to train with the Academy team, Steve Harper and the reserve Goalkeeper. For Thomas this was a really great experience. Feedback again from Newcastle United about Thomas was very positive. So impressed with Thomas Dunn, Newcastle were seriously looking signing him, but he unfortunately three weeks too old.
Much high praise was forwarded to PFT from all the clubs the boys visited and the legacy has been left with open invitations to send over more Australian Goalkeepers.
Great work boys