ARSENAL Football Club has expanded its Advanced Centre coaching programme for young footballers to five towns in Kent.

The centres provide training for promising boys and girls aged from five to 14 by professional youth coaches representing Arsenal FC.

Courses are running at the following venues: Towers School, Ashford, on Saturdays from 10am-noon; Jackie Baker's, Ramsgate, Mondays 5-7pm; Westlands School, Sittingbourne, Tuesdays 5-7pm; Leisure Centre, Strood, Wednesdays 5-7pm; Herne Bay High School, Fridays 5.30-7.30pm.

Ian Blake, from Universal and Arsenal FC, said: "The carefully-structured programme is solely designed to improve the individual players' technique, skill and tactical awareness. Promoting a healthy lifestyle and fostering good sportsmanship and respect is also an important aspect of the syllabus."

The Advanced Centres are not used to select teams and are only a form of extra training. Mr Blake added: "We aim to develop players to enable them to improve their club team. The sessions are structured so that the players progress through developing their skills unopposed before using them in conditioned games.

Managers interested in sending players to the training sessions should contact Mark Sell on 01303 238828.