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Chelsea FC Soccer Camps

Airport Transfer Information & Camp Frequently Asked Questions

For those arriving from overseas or even from the UK, the camp provides a negotiated transfer service from London Heathrow (LHR) Airport or London Gatwick (LGW) Airport to Charterhouse School, Surrey Sports Park and Bradfield College. All transfers need to be pre-arranged. Flight arrivals on Mondays between 08:00 AM – 16:00 (4:00 PM) on the first day of camp and flight departures on Sundays between 11:00 AM – 18:00 (6:00 PM) on the last day of camp.

Transfers outside of the hours mentioned above will be an additional fee, please Contact Us. Please note that the camp cannot accommodate out-of-hours transfers where players arrive at the camp after 11:00pm or need to leave the camp for a flight before 7:00am. Please see the Prices Page for more information.

We recommend morning arrivals (afternoon activities planned, see schedule on Camp Details Page) and late morning / mid-day departures (no activities planned during the departure day).

Transfers must be booked at least four weeks before the start of the camp.

Participants must arrive on the first date of the camp and leave on the last date of the camp as mentioned on your registration.

The camp has a dedicated team of staff located at selected airports on arrival and departure days. If you book an arrival airport transfer your child will be met by a member of camp staff as they walk through to the arrivals public hall. Camp staff will be holding a Nike Camps sign in a prominent position at the front of the arrivals public area and your child will be escorted from this point all the way from the airport to the camp venue. Depending on your child’s flight time, there may be a short wait at the airport for other players to arrive during which time full supervision is given.

On the departure day, camp staff will help your child to the check-in at the airport. Camp staff may also make arrangements to transfer your child to the airline’s unaccompanied minor service if you mention this during registration.

NEW TRAVEL REQUIREMENT TO ENGLAND:

Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) are being introduced worldwide for visitors to the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays, or who do not already have a UK immigration status prior to travelling.

Information on who can get an ETA and how to apply before coming to the UK is available on GOV.UK

Approximate Journey Time

London Heathrow (LHR) Airport to:

  • Charterhouse School: 45 minutes
  • Bradfield College: 45 minutes
  • Surrey Sports Park: 30 minutes

London Gatwick (LGW) Airport to:

  • Charterhouse School: 60 minutes
  • Bradfield College: 90 minutes
  • Surrey Sports Park: 45 minutes
Chelsea FC Foundation Soccer Schools
  • Airport Transfer Information

UNACCOMPANIED MINOR SERVICE (UM SERVICE, usually paid service to the airline!)

Unaccompanied Minor (UM, check Airlines Services for UM) is a service provided by the airlines if your child is under 14 years old or is an inexperienced traveler. This service provides an airline staff member to supervise and escort your child during their flight and in the parts of the airport that are not accessible to camp staff. Most airlines offer this service and some require you to use this service for children under a certain age so please check with the airline and pay applicable fees for both your inbound and outbound journey. If you have booked this service you must notify us during registration.

Check local requirements for children travelling without their parents or legal guardian – each country has specific requirements and may require written consent and/or identity documents.

Please note that UK Border Control (Immigration) does not allow children to wait alone without supervision.

UK Border Control may stop any child travelling alone and will only release them into the care of an adult. Therefore, students cannot wait by themselves.

  • Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the Soccer Only sessions are not suitable for basic level English speakers and the Soccer Only campers need to be able to speak at least an intermediate level of English. Also, the Soccer Only sessions are not suitable for complete beginners as the Soccer Only camps are intensive soccer camps. Additionally, the Soccer and English Language Classes sessions are not suitable for players who are native level English speakers.

Development sessions and Girls sessions are for All abilities including advanced players.

Advanced and Performance Boys sessions are for Players who play regularly for school or club.

Chelsea FC Soccer Camps is open to boys and girls from 10 to 17 years who meet the requirements listed above. Boys sessions are open from 10 to 17 (Boys) at Bradfield College, 10 – 17 (Boys) and 12 – 17 (Girls) at Charterhouse School, and 15 – 17 (Boys) at Surrey Sports Park, Goalkeeper sessions are open from 13 to 17 years old at Charterhouse. Please note that campers must be within the relevant age restrictions to register for the camp and that campers whose age is outside of the above age limits cannot register for the camp. Camp participants need to be the relevant age throughout the duration of the course in order to register.

Unfortunately your child has to be of the relevant age throughout the duration of the course.

Both Soccer Only sessions as well as Soccer and English as a Second Language sessions are available. Campers may register for either the Soccer Only sessions (without English language classes) or the Soccer and English Language Classes sessions which combine soccer training with English language classes.

You can find a list of what we recommend children bring with them HERE (PDF).

Overnight Camp check-in in person is on Monday morning, unless using the airport transfer service (in which case arrival will depend on your flight time). Overnight Camp check-out is on Sunday mornings before 12:30pm unless using the airport transfer service.

Chelsea F.C. has a scouting network to identify talented youngsters. Players need to make an impression for their local club/team. You cannot apply for a trial through Chelsea FC Soccer Camps.

Chelsea F.C. first team players will not be attending Chelsea FC Soccer Camps but you will experience Chelsea FC’s training center.

Yes, the majority of players attend without friends and family. Individuals will be placed in groups with players near the same age who are also on their own. The first session of every course is designed to help all individual players integrate to form a team and also make new friends.

Each camp provides a sports experience as well as a cultural experience. Many of the participants will experience something different from home as they will be in a foreign country with a different way of living. For most of the camps, participants will experience the local cuisine, special times for meals (early meals in northern Europe, late meals in southern Europe) as per the culture of the country, showers after training sessions, typical entertainment at the camp as per the country’s summer camp culture, early or late bedtimes based on the country’s living habits and more. If you feel that your child will have difficulties to adapt to a new way of living, then we recommend that you wait until your child is of an age where they will be ready to do so.

The overnight soccer camps are based at Charterhouse School which is located about 30 miles south west from London, Surrey Sports Park which is located about 30 miles from London and Bradfield College which is situated about 50 miles west of London. The schools are part of the most prestigious private schools in England and have excellent sports and accommodation facilities. More details can be found on the Camp Location page.

Meals are provided. Three meals a day + a snack and catering for various dietary requirements possible if mentioned ahead of time.

Accommodations includes mainly Single (a few Double) bedrooms with shared bathrooms at Charterhouse School; Single and shared bedrooms and dorms with shared bathrooms at Bradfield College and mainly single bedroom with en-suite bathroom at Surrey Sports Park. Accommodation includes three meals a day, a snack, bedding, and usage of site facilities. More information can be found on the Camp Location page.

We often get asked how much spending money players should bring. As everything is included in the camp, players can get by without spending money but there is the opportunity to buy additional snacks on-camp and to buy souvenirs and extra food on trips. The camp is cashless so players tend to bring a UK-activated credit/debit card and might spend between £50 and £200. This is just a guide, there is no requirement to bring spending money.

Please note we are unable to arrange for additional spending money to be provided to players through parents calling our office and paying by card. Please ensure you supply your child with sufficient funds before the start of the camp.

Parents can visit their child at the camp sites one day during the week to watch a soccer training session (not available for Cobham). Day/Hours to visit will be confirmed by email a couple of weeks before your camp starting date.

There is no accommodation for parents on site. Following is a list of local accommodations for Charterhouse: Charterhouse List. You can also look into AirBnB nearby. It may be best to choose a hotel in the London area which meets your requirements.

Yes, there are girls only sessions available. Please see the Dates Page for more information.

There are Goalkeeper Camp sessions available from 13 – 17 years old which provide goalkeeper training at Charterhouse. There will be specialist goalkeeping training sessions throughout the week as well as sessions where goalkeepers join the field players program. Please see the Dates Page for more information.

IMPORTANT:  Please note, you are solely responsible for obtaining all needed travel documents including but not limited to a valid passport and any appropriate tourist travel visas for the person attending the soccer camp, the Participant.  You must contact the appropriate consulate office for entry requirements and visa requirements for the country where the selected camp is located.  Once you have registered your child with us, and have paid for the camp in full, upon your written request, we will be pleased to provide a letter confirming enrolment for the specific Participant. This letter may be required by certain consulates for the ‘Child Tourist/Visitor Visa’.  (NOTE: We can only issue the letter for the Participant not for any other person.)  Please be advised that consulate’s visa application processes can take many months.  The more you wait, the more chances you have to be denied the required ‘Child Tourist/Visitor Visa’ for your child and certain camps will not issue a refund.  Please check the terms for the camp.

NEW TRAVEL REQUIREMENT TO ENGLAND:

Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) are being introduced worldwide for visitors to the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays, or who do not already have a UK immigration status prior to travelling.

Information on who can get an ETA and how to apply before coming to the UK is available on GOV.UK

Insurance is included in your camp: INSURANCE if you want additional medical or other coverage, we recommend you purchase an additional insurance in this case (It is your responsibility to ensure that you are satisfied with the extent of cover this provides and that the Participant has adequate travel and medical insurance to cover the costs of any medical treatment that may be required). For those interested in purchasing insurance through WorldNomads.com, please see the Insurance Page for more information but you can also make your own arrangements to find insurance on your own.

Should you wish to share with a friend or relative please indicate this when you make your booking online. The camp is organized according to age groups to ensure that each player has a safe and fun experience during their stay. Therefore when selecting rooms for the campers, the camp follows a two-year age rule which means that each player will be sharing with others of a similar age. You can request to share a room with another player at camp as long as both players are within two years of each other and are both the same gender but please note that the camp cannot guarantee any room share requests. You can make this request during online registration. Please visit the Camp Location page for more information.

We advise you to only send your child for a maximum of two consecutive weeks. This is due to the busy training schedule throughout the week and after two weeks children tend to get tired, homesick, or possibly injured.

Applications are open until there are no slots left. Slots are limited and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Once a session is filled, then it is closed for sale.

Campers are not allowed to use their mobile phones during training, classes, or any activities. Your child will let you know the best time for you to contact him after his camp session has started. Contact details for the camp will be provided to you a couple of weeks before camp starts in the welcome email packet.

Camp telephone numbers will be provided in your welcome email packet a couple of weeks before the start of camp for registered campers.

The camp operates a phone ‘bank’ system on every camp. Players give in their phones and valuables to the camp bank for safe-keeping. This is mandatory. Then each evening during free-time players can access their phones to call home and catch up on messages. They return their phones to the bank before they go to bed. Although the camp staff will always wake players up in the mornings, some players like to know the time when they’re in their bedrooms so we advise bringing a watch or alarm clock in this instance.

This system ensures phones don’t get lost during sports sessions, distract players during English or keep them up at night. It also makes for a great social camp atmosphere encouraging interaction and new friendships.

It’s natural that during the first few days of the camp some players get homesick. The camp staff is trained and experienced in identifying signs of homesickness and offering support and comfort. As players settle into the camp and get involved in camp activities, homesickness usually subsides. Excessive contact with home during the first couple of days at the camp can make homesickness worse so we encourage parents to help their children become more independent but will work closely with parents to ensure the best experience for every child. The camp staff are also trained to identify any emotional changes or abnormalities in a players’ behaviour and will ensure they are fully supported to overcome any issues and make the best of their time with us.

Every camp has free laundry facilities available on-site (laundry done by the camp once a week) but we ask that players attending a 6-night camp bring enough clothing to last the camp.

If your child has any special dietary requirements and you did not mention it when you registered online, please inform us as soon as possible. Catering for various dietary requirements may be possible if mentioned ahead of time.

Yes, please be sure to indicate in the online application form any medication that your child is taking or if he or she is following a treatment. We will update the medical staff at the disposal at the camp who will follow your child. It is important that we receive accurate information about any pre-existing medical conditions that your child may have. Should you not have already informed us of a medical condition when you registered online, please do so as soon as possible. Please note that Chelsea FC Soccer Camps accepts students on the assumption that they are in good health. If your child needs to bring any medication with them please give us full information about dosage, time to take the medication, and storage information. For specific medical conditions, we will send you a follow up email for additional information.

There is camp staff on site 24 hours per day.

For campers staying two consecutive weeks, there will be staff staying with the children during the weekend between the two weeks.

Chelsea FC Soccer Camps sessions are taught in English only. For many years, we have had participants coming from all over the world who attended the soccer camps in England and a lot of them do not speak English but acclimate very well to the camps as there has not been any language barrier in the past.

Parents will be able to visit their child only during the assigned hours on visiting day for parents during a soccer training session. More information will be available to you a couple of weeks before camp starts.

All sessions are spoken in English but children will be grouped on arrival according to their age and English language ability if requested.

Professional and dedicated English teachers live on-site and classes are run using a combination of traditional classroom techniques, active participation, and project work.

The camp has senior pastoral staff at each camp who are trained in first-aid and in the administration and dispensation of medicines. Please make sure that the camp staff understands what medicines your child requires and in what dosage and frequency. They will contact you if your child is unwell and unable to participate in activities to discuss the best course of action. They will also take your child to the doctor or hospital if necessary. If your child is taking medication when they start the camp, the camp staff will assist them to do so and keep their medicine in a safe place. Make sure you mention during registration ALL medical conditions.