With an intake of exciting new recruits and another batch making the step-up to first team football, there’s a growing buzz around Darts Academy.

With Director of Football Tony Burman pulling the strings and first team Manager Ady Pennock giving young players an opportunity to shine, the Academy has never been in better shape. The addition of a new Women’s Academy has only added to the positivity behind the scenes.

Now, with just days before the first match of the new season, Academy Manager Ben Greenhalgh has a spring in his step and says he is delighted with the standard and attitude of players now available to him and his team.

He said: “We’ve brought in 30 new first year scholars. It’s a really competitive group. Last year, it was a lot tougher. The first team had been relegated and the competition from the clubs around us made it a more difficult task.

“We’ve noticed it’s not been as hard this year. There are so many from the Academy around first team match days now, it’s become an easier sell. We’ve also bought in some to the second year, which doesn’t happen often. I find I can just show parents and players thinking of coming here, the facts. The facts are the academy boys will get opportunities here, if they are doing well.

“We’ve had a lot of boys involved with the first team again. We have Richie and Hugo who are obviously still with the Academy in and around the first team squad. We also have Albie in there who just finished his time with us, which shows just how good the three-year programme is. Albie wasn’t quite getting recognised after two years, but stayed another year and has really developed and kicked on a gear and is now reaping the benefits.

“Added to that, you have George, Olly, Jez and Sam and others, and so you often see six or seven in the match day squads that have come through the system.

“We have also just seen former Academy player Martial Godo move from Fulham to Stasborg in a multi-million pound deal.

“It means it is working well here and we couldn’t be happier.”

A more joined-up approach behind the scenes has been essential to this success.

He continued: “The numbers we are now able to shout about are phenomenal. It makes you very proud. But it needs the right people in the Club to make this happen. It needs opportunities from Ady and Tony and then it’s down to the players.

“But Ady is really pro-active with the boys and comes to games. He’s always saying how hard-working and polite the boys coming through, are, and that’s the foundation working as it should.”

The Academy boys have been back six weeks already and had a great pre-season.

He continued: “We came back on 23rd July, which means we have had six weeks together. It can be a bit of a juggle with summer holidays being a bit of a disruption, but it’s a good period of time to get the majority in. They are looking fit and ready for the season ahead.

“We’ve had 12 pre-season fixtures and had 10 wins and two draws across the three teams. Whites have won five out of five. It’s been really positive. Obviously, it’s not all about results now, but to see this group playing at this standard already is really pleasing.”

While the last few seasons have been a little stop-start due to the number of players in and out of the teams, the Academy management has re-focused this season and is hoping for better team results.

He added: “We’ve kicked on another gear as coaches. Last season, we had so many players out on loan or in the first team, we probably didn’t focus so much on the teams, it was about improving the individuals. This time, we feel we have the space again to do that. We’ve tried to raise the standards and have been able to plan better for matches.

“We have got so many players around the first team which is brilliant news, but I’m sure there’s going to be plenty more. They have worked so hard over the summer and we are really happy with the quality and effort and excited to get going again.”

The first fixture of the season sees Darts Academy (a mix of U-18 Academy players) take part in the Preliminary Round of the FA Youth Cup on Thursday, 4 September. They play Erith & Belvedere, with a 7:45pm KO. The game is being played at Acclaim Handling Community Stadium, Park View Road, Welling, DA16 1SY. Admission is £5 for adults, with U-16s free.