Welcome to Pompey Double Club Indonesia


Adam the Double Club coach receives an Indonesian welcome from the pupils	Pompey delegation in the School we visited	The welcoming band and the Pompey delegation	The Portsmouth visitors enjoy a trip to the Olympic Stadium in Jakarta

This season, Pompey Double Club is not only rolling out across Portsmouth, but across the globe! A delegation from Portsmouth flew to Jakarta in August to help establish Pompey Double Club Indonesia. Indonesia is a predominately Muslim country and the schools that are taking part are all Muhammadiyah schools. This is a Muslim organisation with over 40 million members which devotes itself to social and educational activities.

Although schools in Indonesia tend to be more formal than in the UK and the concept of "learning through football" is new to them we all agreed on two things:

Football brings people together
Learning through football is fun!

Whilst in Jakarta the delegation visited a local Muhammadiyah school and any doubts we may have had about the impact of learning linked to an English Premiership Club disappeared. A more fantastic welcome has never been seen! The school band played us in with flags, drums and dancing and the children welcomed us with more smiles and enthusiasm than we had ever experienced; many knew the whole line up of the Pompey team! Adam, the Double Club coach, joined in an impromptu match with the youngsters which the whole school of 1,800 pupils watched. A tour of the schools saw more smiles and welcomes; pupils start to learn English at five or six with the aim of "increasing knowledge and building bridges". The day ended with the local delegation recognising further the huge impact that Premiership football could have on learning English in Indonesia.

As with Pompey Double Club here in England, the children in Indonesia are offered the opportunity to practice and develop their football skills once they have finished their Pompey themed classroom activities.

In Indonesia the coaching sessions are delivered by the Asian Soccer Academy which is run by Lee Hawkins – born and bred in Pompey and a former season ticket holder! ASA is a multinational coaching academy comprising of players from all over the World. The Double Club schools in Indonesia all:

Have dedicated a Double Club room with Pompey posters and pictures.
In Indonesia, once in the room, whether you're a teacher, pupil or visitor, only English can be spoken.

Follow the agreed assessment framework with fair play, English, leadership, teamwork
and tournament results all leading to an 'all star team'.

The plan is for these teams to play an exhibition match next April when the Indonesian pupils visit Pompey.

Log in for Double Club resources here....