Free Foresters Academy

The club remains committed to playing 'friendly' cricket at the highest possible level. We are keen to find new challenging opponents and recruit top young players. With this in mind, in 2008 we launched the FF Academy, whose founding Hon Patron was the late Christopher Martin-Jenkins MBE.

In early July 2009, the FF ran a second Academy Festival - a round robin U25 competition between the FF Academy, Young Holland, Ireland U19 and Combined Services. Ireland won and FF were runners up.

Since 2010, the FF Academy has played in Home Minor Counties U25 competitions (against Oxon, Herts, Bucks and Beds) in a mixture of two-day, T20 and three-day fixtures, winning the trophies on a number of occasions including doing the double in 2012 .

The FF Academy in 2013 - winners of the double

A glorious 2013 for the Academy. The double!

We are delighted that to date, during its seven years of existence, the Club has had over 70 young players represent the FF Academy. Not only have most gone on to become full members of the club, in 2015, 20 of our fixtures are match managed by FF Academicians. This is excellent news as Match Managers are part of the essential fabric of the Club! 

Pre-match warm-up: It's just not cricket!

In 2015 we have a full programme of Academy fixtures. Members are encouraged to support these games. Any queries should be directed to the Hon Fixture Secretary, James Dean. The matches, starting at 1100 each day, are as follows:

• Thurs 2nd and Fri 3rd July vs Oxfordshire CCC Development XI, venue TBC
• Tues 21st, Wed 22nd and Thurs 23rd July vs Hertfordshire CCC Development XI at Radley College
• Mon 17th and Tues 18th July vs Bedfordshire CCC Development XI at Bedford CC
• Mon 31st Aug, Tues 1st and Wed 3rd Sept vs Buckinghamshire CCC at Chesham CC 

In the pub afterwards! Academician Tom Deasy celebrating with the Tom Orford Trophy.

Ben Jeffery, Academy captain, holding the Tom Orford trophy in 2011, presented at Radley at a one-day game a week later vs Herts