By Alex Hoad

Maidstone United are set to launch a football academy next season to try and improve the flow of youngsters through the club and into the first team.

From September, youngsters who have completed their GCSEs will have the chance to continue full time education while combining it with football at Cobdown Sports and Social Club, Ditton.

Places will be allocated following open trials and interviews which will be held at Cobdown on Monday, July 5 and Monday, July 12, and Friday, July 9 and Friday, July 16.

All sessions start at 6.30pm and end at 8.30pm.

Anyone interested in a place must have played at district league level or above, display the necessary attributes to improve further and must be aged 16 or 17 at August 31, 2010.

Academic lessons will be taught by fully-qualified teachers and football training will be led by coaches qualified up to UEFA A standard.

At the end of the course, students will have completed a BTEC First Diploma or National Award in Sport, combined with a NVQ2 in Sports Activity Leadership and the FA Level 1 Coaching certificate.

Stones general manager Bill Williams (pictured) said: "This is a massive coup for Maidstone United, our football academy will provide first-class education and football coaching.

"The government want school leavers to continue in education or move to employment or work-based training and as a club we are delighted to offer young people the opportunity to combine their further studies with sport."

For more information and to register for the football academy, visit www.maidstoneunited.co.uk/academy