Manchester City Football Programs

Airport Transfer Information & Camp Frequently Asked Questions

City Football Programs provides a negotiated transfer service from Manchester (MAN) Airport to Manchester University. All airport transfers must be pre-arranged. After collecting their luggage, your child will proceed through customs then to the public arrivals hall where the Program staff will be holding a big City Football Program sign. If your child makes his way to this sign the Program staff will meet and escort him all the way from the airport to the venue.

Please note that participants with arrival transfers or departure transfers will each have a maximum of 2 hours of waiting time at the airport with the Program staff for their transfers as the Program staff have to wait for other children to arrive or depart as well.

However, once the participant has met with the Program staff at the airport, then they are supervised at all times during their maximum of 2 hours of waiting time at the airport with the Program staff for their arrival transfer or their departure transfer.

IMPORTANT: the camp DOES NOT offer (UM) Unaccompanied Minor service airport transfers.(Unaccompanied Minor (UM) is a paid service offered by many airlines (usually for children 14-15 years old and under only) meaning that your child is escorted by airline staff during his trip, through the airport and passport control/customs and that the camp staff are required to sign for receipt of your child. Most airlines will also charge a fee for this service. IMPORTANT: it is not because your child travel alone that he is Unaccompanied Minor (UM), it is only if you have this service with the airline!)

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

Outside the hours mentioned above, additional fees will apply for your transfer.

Check local requirements for children travelling without their parents or legal guardian (Unaccompanied Minor (UM, check Airlines Services for UM) – each country has specific requirements and may require written consent and/or identity documents.

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

Manchester (MAN) Airport to:

  • Manchester University: 30 minutes

Please note that UK Border Control (Immigration) does not allow children to wait alone without supervision. UK Border Control may stop any child traveling alone and will only release them into the care of an adult. Therefore, students cannot wait by themselves.

Manchester City Football Camps

ARRIVAL and/or Departure Flights:

For Arrival and/or Departure flights, flights need to arrive on Sundays or depart on Friday between the hours of 8:00am and 18:00 (6:00pm). 

Please note that Sunday Arrivals are Recommended before 14:00 (2:00pm) which is before the camp welcome for the start of camp (around 4pm).

For departure on Fridays, we recommend that flights leave after 19:30 (7:30pm) otherwise you will miss the last day’s training session, the stadium tour, and the closing ceremony at the Etihad Stadium (Manchester City stadium) which ends around 16:30 (4:30pm).

If you choose a weekend stay (for soccer only request to participate in a 2 weeks camp), your departure flight will need to be on a Sunday morning at the end of your 2 weeks stay

Stay on Friday night:

There is also an option to stay on a Friday night (additional fee) and take a flight on Saturday morning only, if you choose this option and book an airport transfer, departure flight times on Saturday MUST be in the morning only, see price details on the price page.

On departure, students will be dropped off at their airline ticket counter. 

On the departure day the Program staff will take your child to the check in desk and then to the security gate. The Program can also make arrangements to transfer your child to the airline’s unaccompanied minor service if you check the unaccompanied minor box in your online booking.

It is of vital importance that all necessary flight details are sent to Soccer Camps International with the booking form or as soon as available. City Football Programs requires the exact flight information, including dates, airlines, flight numbers, arrival and departure terminals, and flight times at the latest 4 weeks before camp starts.

  • Frequently Asked Questions

Outside of the Soccer and English classes 2 weeks sessions, you can participate also at 2 weeks football only session when you add a weekend stay between the 2 weeks you selected. The second week program will be similar repeat of the first week.

Insurance is not provided. It is the responsibility of the adult paying for your course to source travel, accident & health insurance for your trip with coverage in the UK.

It is mandatory that every player has insurance to cover such events as course cancellation or curtailment, loss of personal effects, loss of passport or tickets, medical expenses and repatriation, personal liability and personal accident. If you do not have an adequate insurance policy and an incident occurs, you will be responsible for all costs incurred. For those interested in purchasing insurance through WorldNomads.com, please see the Insurance Page for more information.

It is not a requirement that your child plays for a soccer club or a school soccer team in order to join the program; however it is an intensive program and we recommend that players attending the course are committed to improving and are prepared to work hard.

Manchester City 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 City Football Performance Program.

It is unlikely that the players will be able to attend City Football Programs courses because of their busy training and match schedule. However, City Football Programs always endeavor to get as much exposure to the first team and the club as possible.

Yes, the majority of players attend without friends and family. Individuals will be placed in groups with players of 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 have their training take place at the City Football Academy, the world-class training ground where Manchester City’s First Team, Women’s Team, Elite Development Squad and Academy teams train on a daily basis. Residential accommodations take place at Manchester University

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are catered for during your child’s stay. Breakfast includes continental breakfast and hot options. A healthy, balanced lunch and two-course dinner are also provided. Dietary needs, vegetarian and Halal options are available on request. 

Single rooms with private en-suite bathrooms at a Manchester University Campus

Each student will have their own private en-suite bedroom, complete with:

  • A single bed

  • A study desk and chair

  • Wardrobe and storage space

  • En-suite bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink

The residence also includes:

  • Free high-speed Wi-Fi

  • 24-hour reception and on-site security

  • Secure entry and CCTV

  • Pay-as-you-go laundry facilities

  • Free laundry service for football training kit

  • Weekly room cleaning

  • Bedding, linen and towels provided

Common Areas

Students can enjoy a range of modern shared spaces, designed for socialising and relaxation. These include:

  • Comfortable lounges

  • Games room

  • Cinema room

  • Large communal dining areas on each floor

Camp team of activity leaders are on hand throughout the stay, helping to ensure players are safe, supported and enjoying their time.

 

Damage deposit: Please note, a damage deposit of £60 will be required to cover any damage costs if necessary, to be handed to staff in cash on arrival. The deposit will be returned to your child on their last day providing no damage has been made to Manchester City Football School property.

Valuables such as passports, cash and mobile phones can be safely locked away at the Residence by the Centre Manager. Should players wish to access their valuables at any point, the Centre Manager will be able to assist.

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

All travel, food, accommodation, kit and course materials are included in the cost. You may wish to provide your child with pocket money to spend on souvenirs etc. during excursions. Following the Etihad Stadium Tour, players will have opportunity to visit the CityStore, where there will be a wide range of official Manchester City merchandise available to purchase. The amount you bring depends on how much extra you wish to buy, however we suggest bringing approximately £100 – £150 per week.

An additional £5 will need to be handed to camp staff in cash on arrival to pay for the laundry bag for your child’s laundry.

Camp self check-in is on Sunday afternoons between 12:00noon (12:00pm) and 16:00 (4:00pm) at the Manchester University and camp self check-out is on Friday afternoons after the end of the closing ceremony around 16:00 (4:00pm) at Etihad Stadium. (times to be confirmed closer to camps starts dates)

Each evening, Football Performance and Football Development players will team up  for evening activities at the residence. Activities vary from night to night, such as movie nights, sports nights and a BBQ.

Parents will only be able to participate at the closing ceremony on Friday at the Etihad stadium (Manchester City Stadium). An email will be sent to you a few weeks before camp start to reserve a space for this event.

There is no accommodation for parents on site. As participants stay on university campus, you will find more options and activities downtown Manchester.

Manchester City Football Performance Program does not currently offer a specific goalkeeper training course; however, goalkeepers will be able to play in goal during sessions featuring goalkeepers and match-play. 

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

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they leave enough time for the visa application process. No refunds will be issued on the grounds of any individuals not being able to obtain a visa.

There are only single en-suite rooms available. Should you wish to have the room next to a friend or relative please indicate this when you make your booking online. Please note that we cannot guarantee any room share requests. Please visit the Camp Location page for more information. Camp staff will do their best to accommodate your request.

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

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 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 few weeks before camp starts in the welcome email packet.

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

Yes, the residence provides laundry facilities and your child can wash their own clothes but we recommend to bring enough clothing for a one week stay at camp. The camp provides a free laundry service for your child’s City Training soccer kit but please have your child bring their own laundry bag with them to camp. If your child would like to wash their own personal clothes during their stay, self-service laundry machines are available at the residence. Washer and dryer costs are approximately £2.50 each.

If your child has any special dietary requirements, if you did not mention it when you registered online, please inform us as soon as possible. Most diets can be catered for by prior arrangement.

Yes, please be sure to indicate in the online application form any medication that your son is taking or if he is following a treatment. We will update the medical staff at the disposal at the camp who will follow your son. It is important that we receive accurate information about any pre-existing medical conditions 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 City Football Program 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.

There is camp staff on site 24 hours per day.

Manchester City Football Programs sessions are taught in English only. For many years, we have had participants coming from all over the world and a lot of them do not speak English but acclimate very well to the camp as there has not been any language barrier in the past.

Yes, campers will receive City Football schools and Nike training kit to keep.

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

Yes, lights out at the university residence is at 11:00 pm.

No, however airport transfers are available for an additional fee. Please see the Prices Section for more information.

Yes, players will be picked up every morning from the residence by a private coach, which will take them to the City Football Academy. At the end of each day, the private coach will take them back to the residence.

Players will train in groups of sixteen or less to ensure players benefit from personalized and hands-on learning.

The programme is exclusively for players whose native language is not English. All activities, both soccer coaching and educational sessions, are designed to improve and develop English language and communication skills. Participants will take a pre English test before their camp starts. Educational elements are brought into coaching sessions, and soccer themes are integrated into interactive educational sessions, to provide a 100% immersive experience in both English and soccer. However, they will have a chance to make friends with players from English speaking countries such as UK, USA, etc. when socializing during evening activities with City Football Performance/Development  Program players at the residence.

Recognizing signs of homesickness and offering support is part of the camp staff’s comprehensive training. The camp also has a dedicated Welfare Manager who is on hand to talk to and reassure your child.

Residential sessions are only available so that they may offer a fully immersive experience. Day camp sessions are not available.

The camp does not offer compensation for late arrivals and/or activities, lessons, and excursions missed as a result of not arriving on time.