Midget GEMS Taste Life at the Top

GEMS Kindergarten Starters, winners of the inaugural Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup, have returned home from their once-in-a-life trip to Manchester, England.

During the trip, the 16-strong GEMS Kindergarten Starters team, aged between eight and 10 years, travelled alongside City Football School coaching staff to Manchester where they had the opportunity to learn, train and play at the City Football Academy. As part of the trip, they also had a behind-the-scenes tour of the Etihad Stadium, met Manchester City first team player Danilo Luiz da Silva and enjoyed some well-earned down time, taking in the cultural surroundings of Manchester itself. Team members were also presented with a Manchester City FC shirt from the City Store on the final day of their visit.

Speaking about trip Simon Hewitt, Project Manager at City Football Schools explained: “The GEMS Kindergarten Starters team were crowned the first ever winners of Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup back in March 2017. The event itself was a two-day football extravaganza that saw over 800 children from across the GCC take part across the weekend.

“As part of their Abu Dhabi Cup prize the Kindergarten Starters team won a trip to Manchester City to take part in a number of activities at the Etihad Campus. This was a fantastic trip with a wonderful group of children, many of whom had not been to Manchester before. They were able to experience everything about City life and it was delight to watch them develop as players since the Abu Dhabi Cup and throughout their trip to Manchester.”

“These types of experiences for young GCC fans are an integral part of the City Football Schools vision. Not only do they inspire children but also give them the opportunity to train outside their comfort zone and challenge themselves on a personal and sporting levels. Throughout the season, we will offer more trips like these across a variety of programmes.”

City Football Schools, open to both boys and girls aged between three and 18, are based across three venues in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace, Zayed Sports City and New York University Abu Dhabi.

To find out more or to sign up to the new season of City Football Schools please visit:

uae.cityfootballschools.com