Footballs stars visit Army Foundation College for a kickabout

13 June 2016

A pair of world famous freestyle footballers wowed teenagers at the Army Foundation College.

The F2 Freestylers surprised Junior Soldiers when they visited the prestigious college in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

Billy Wingrove and Jeremy Lynch showed off their soccer skills and filmed a video with members of Waterloo Company.

The popular YouTube stars knocked down targets on the firing range, performed tricks at the assault course and in the sports hall – the biggest in the British Army.

They invited the 16-year-olds to have a kickabout with them and praised them for their “tekkers,” while wearing uniform and combat boots.

VIDEO BY F2 FREESTYLERS:

Jeremy said:

It’s a privilege being here. We want to thank the Junior Soldiers for watching our videos.

The real heroes are the Armed Forces, they are the ones out in the world making a difference, so utmost respect to them.

The F2 Freestylers took time out of their busy schedule to visit the military training establishment.

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They arrived fresh from hanging out on Lewis Hamilton’s Yacht after the Monaco Grand Prix, and just before jetting off to the 2016 UEFA European Championship.

Billy said:

The facilities at the Army Foundation College are incredible, if you are a young person and you like sport and keeping fit then this is the place for you.

There’s a really good atmosphere here, the place is full of young people enjoying themselves.

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Jeremy and Billy have more than a billion views on YouTube and have worked with some of the biggest football stars in the world including Messi and Ronaldo

 

Billy had some advice for youngsters who consider The F2 Freestylers their heroes and want to emulate their success.

“To get to where we are has taken practice, perseverance, confidence and self-belief. These are exactly the skills you need to succeed in any walk of life – including the Army.”

Billy and Jeremy – who call themselves “The World’s Best Football Duo” – invited the Junior Soldiers to try and knockdown targets from a distance on the firing range.

They celebrated with 16-year-old Phil Valegatu, from Fiji, when he successfully completed the challenge.

Phil, who lived in Oxford before enrolling at the college, said:

It’s so exciting having The F2 Freestylers here.

We all love watching their videos, the things they can do with a football are amazing.

The Junior Soldiers, who are enrolled on a unique 42-week long course combining vocational education and military training, impressed their guests with their “Army tekkers”.

They showed off their physical fitness, completed a gruelling obstacle while The F2 Freestylers performed tricks around them.

Samuel Cole, 16, played semi-professional football in Almería, Spain, before moving to the UK to go to the Army Foundation College.

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Samuel, whose favourite position is striker, said:

I couldn’t believe it when I found out The F2 Freestylers were coming.

I’m a massive fan of what they do, I spend a lot of time practicing my football skills but they make it all look so easy.

The F2 Freestylers took in the sports facilities at the Army Foundation College, checking out the swimming pool, boxing ring and gym.

They aimed shots through basketball hoops in the sports hall where an instructor taught them how to climb a rope using Army techniques.

Warrant Officer Class 2 (Quartermaster Sergeant Instructor) Marc Murphy, bought his son 14-year-old Jordan to work to meet The F2 Freestylers.

WO2 Murphy, who is head of the gymnasium, said:

They are heroes to a lot of these kids.

They aspire to do the things they can do, they put in hours of practice trying to master the skills they see in their videos.

They are great role models, they have got to where they have through hard work and discipline, which are key values in the British Army.

The Army Foundation College opened in 1998 and provides training for the Army’s many career paths.

The college at Uniacke Barracks, on Penny Pot Lane, runs two types of course – a 42-week long course and a shorter 22-week course.

Junior Soldiers work on their leadership and team skills as part of the college’s personal and team development package.

They undertake a number of adventurous training activities, as well as physical and mental challenges, culminating in a 30-hour challenge patrol across the Yorkshire Dales.

The students have also had the opportunity to sample a wide variety of sports promoting fitness and agility

At the end of their training the Junior Soldiers take part in Europe’s largest military graduation parade.

For information on how to enroll at the Army Foundation College visit: www.army.mod.uk/juniorsoldier

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