A PIONEERING link-up between Oxford’s college of further education and Oxford City FC is giving teenagers a chance to play football — and net a qualification at the same time.

Oxford and Cherwell Valley College is to run sports courses at Oxford City’s Court Place Farm ground in Marsh Lane, Headington.

A £2m project to provide teaching facilities at the ground, including classrooms, new changing rooms and an astroturf pitch, is due to be completed next spring.

On Monday, 60 teenagers attended an open evening at Oxford City’s ground and signed up for courses starting in September.

First team manager Justin Merritt said: “This is a great opportunity to get students down here and get them involved with the club. There will be two youth teams playing in the Youth Conference League and through our links with the college, some students will be able to go on to coaching and footballing apprenticeships.

“Hopefully some players will then go even higher in the football world.”

Mr Merritt said work could start before the end of the year.

The scheme includes an all-weather pitch, and four grass pitches. Oxford City Council has agreed to lease the club more land, and the Football Foundation is putting up more than £1m.

Des Buckingham, of OCVC, said courses on offer included a one-year first diploma in sport performance and a two-year BTEC National Diploma in sports science.

Players who have completed the sports science diploma include Nottingham Forest player Gareth McCleary.

Abingdon United player Mark Burton, 18, from Kidlington, who completed the sports science diploma, is starting a sports management degree in America in September. He said: “The diploma gave me a good grounding for what I am going to be doing. I would definitely recommend it.”