MR CROSS INTERVIEW- Tour of Malta, Year 11 and PE's Nomination

Mr Cross Interview

I was lucky enough to speak to Mr Cross, a member of the successful PE Department at CHS, about the recent Tour of Malta where he saw his year 11 football team win one and lose one. We also spoke about the year 11’s season so far and the PE departments nomination for a Cheshire East Sports Award.

Tour of Malta

Mr Cross managed the senior side, which he described as a “strong team”, on the recent Tour of Malta and saw his team get off to a great start with a victory in the opening match. He said that “it was nice to set the tour off with a nice foot in and it also gave the other teams especially the younger teams something to build on”.

Things looked even better half-way through the second half of the second match with the senior side 3-1 up against a professional football academy and asked if he was surprised he replied “when we were 3-1 up it was nothing short of something which would be seen in a school of excellence or a professional academy in this country. The football academy were tidy footballers and were a year older than the CHS senior side but Year 11 are made up of talented individual footballers and as a group are very strong with the attacking pair of Matt Gilham and Brian Barton” something which Mr Cross thinks will be “the strongest pairing that the senior side has seen for a very, very long time”. Some people would say that the heat was a factor in CHS eventually losing the match something which Mr Cross dismissed and he saw it as a “benefit” as it suited “the intensity in which the team play with”- something which is installed to every team in CHS. He said that a “lack of concentration” was the factor.  Adapting to the climate was a “challenge” but one which CHS “rose too” as although “the heat was difficult, the players kept themselves well hydrated and the sunny weather suited CHS which was one of the reasons why we chose Malta. “

Mr Cross said that the tour “galvanised” the team, which has shown in the improved performances since returning.

Year 11

Mr Cross only took charge of the year 11 side in September but just over two months into the job and he has made a lot of changes. Year 11 have changed from a “straight-forward 4-4-2 formation, relying on the impact players too heavily” to “playing players in the right position and being able to break down the opposition as well as going forward when we need to”. However, this has not been easy as Mr Cross has had a “headache” (and not just from noisy students) but a selection one with players having to “play out of position” due to their previous manager playing “a set way with set positions”. He is “immensely proud” of the students’ “willingness to adapt to a new style of play” and regards them as the “best footballers in their age group in the local area”.

Nomination For Cheshire Sports Award

Congleton High School’s PE department has been shortlisted as a finalist in the School of the Year category for the Cheshire East Sports Awards and Mr Cross is very proud to see something which he has been a part of and helped grow be nominated for the award. The PE department “work their socks off” (quite literally) and have a “shared vision” which Mr Cross describes as “infectious”. The hard work has paid off with the “girls football from last year going from strength to strength, boy’s football has improved” and rugby has seen a promising start with “one win from one game in two age groups”.

Written by Adam Bailey. With thanks to Mr Cross.