Chichester student named England Colleges footballer of the year

The award s are presented to the player in each of the male and females teams England set-ups who have made outstanding progress over the course of the season on and off the pitch.

They are awarded in memory of Luke Buckingham, former ECFA coach and founder of Team BC at Bridgwater & Taunton College, who died of leukaemia in 2015, aged 30.

Luke’s dad Bob Buckingham said: “Luke was really special because he believed in young people and their ability to be better, on all levels, than they ever imagined they could be.

“The award embodies Luke’s spirit, his legacy and his inherent belief that #betterneverstops – a mantra that has been adopted by his employers, Bridgwater & Taunton College and by Bridgwater Town.”

This year’s recipients of the prestigious award are Jelley (Chichester College) and Georgie Barbour-Gresham (Exeter College).

Jelley represented the national team for the second year in succession and was awarded the Caput Mundi player of the tournament for his performances in Italy.

He was involved in every ECFA fixture and demonstrated leadership qualities throughout. While there were other players who produced good performances, Jelley was the most reliable and consistent.

Jelley said: “It was a privilege to represent the ECFA team this year and I am very proud to have won the award which caps off an exciting and very enjoyable year with the squad. I want to thank everyone who was a part of it for making it such a good time and making memories I won’t forget.”

ECFA men’s assistant manager Andy Jones said: “I think it’s fair to say that his peers looked up to him not just on the field, but off it too. Dylan possessed several qualities, including the ability to ask questions and take advice, which made him a pleasure to coach. I am sure he will go on to play at a good level and we will all be tracking his progress.”

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