In the summer of 2011 the club expanded its youth setup to embrace age groups ranging from Under 7’s to Under 16’s. One of the new teams within the club were the Under 15’s managed by John Arthrell. The side was essentially the Colchester Athletic team that had won the Colchester & District ‘A’ League the previous campaign with four additional new signings. The team won the Essex Summer Cup by defeating Bowers & Pitsea in the final as well as several five-a-side competitions (including our own Dragons Cup) during the close season.
For their initial campaign in 2011/12 the side competed in the Eastern Junior Alliance Under 15’s Suffolk Division and reproduced below is a programme for the league fixture against Chelmsford City.
The Dragons lost the game 2-3 with Jordon Blackwell and Matt Allum on target as the visitors took the points with the last kick of the match.
From this side, full back Tyler Rogers (in first team action below) eventually progressed into the first team making his debut on 1st February 2014, as a substitute in an Eastern Counties League Premier Division fixture at Walsham-le-Willows, aged 16. He went on to play 32 games at Senior level for Wivenhoe during which he scored one goal, a scorching 25 yarder in a 2-2 draw at Newmarket Town on 26/04/14.
