When Paul Kevern and Marcus Smith moved the Illogan U12s team en masse to Mousehole for the 2018/19 season the captain of that group was Hayden Black. Even then he was a stylish player who could play anywhere across the middle of the park.

That team entered and won the ESF tournament at Butlins with Hayden leading from the front. He may be slight of frame but he’s strong on the ball with an eye for pass and is not afraid to take the less easy option when it comes to passes or runs with the ball.

Having lived and breathed football since he could walk it was inevitable that as he progressed into the development team he would make the next step up. Training regularly with the first team squad has led to him featuring in most of this season’s pre-season friendly and early season squads. As his experience grows it won’t be long before he makes his full first team debut. Exciting times lay ahead for Hayden so remember the name.

On September 7th, Jacob made his full debut for Mousehole AFC’s first team. Although we lost in a penalty shootout that night, this match will be remembered by all Seagull fans who saw it because of how well he played. To anyone who didn’t know better, they would have thought it was his one-hundredth game, not his first.

Having moved to Trungle from Illogan via the Plymouth Argyle Centre of Excellence, Jacob is a perfect example of how a good youth system should work. He was eleven when he joined us, and just six years later, here he was fitting into a strong team in the FA Trophy.

As he rose through the youth ranks, it was obvious to all that he was a special talent, so it was no surprise when he played every game for the development team last season, as they finished second in the league and reached the final of the Cornish Intermediate Cup.

Training with the first-team squad during that season brought him to the attention of Jake Ash, leading to substitute appearances in our pre-season friendlies and a place on the bench as our league campaign began. When experienced centre-half Max Hill had to come off after just fourteen minutes of our away game at Helston, some might have feared the worst as Jacob trotted onto the pitch. But after a couple of minutes, it was clear that we had a player not just for the future but for right now. Jake compared him to Bobby Moore that day, and while that might be slightly over-egging the pudding, there is no doubt that Jacob is a star on the rise.

Read what Corey Jewell had to say!

I am absolutely delighted to be joining Mousehole Developments coaching set up for this coming season.

I have had the privilege of meeting Drew and Will this season through their links with the Argyle CofE and mine at West Cornwall Schools Football Association, and I can’t wait to be joining them at this special club this season.

Having previously worked at Pendeen and most recently Helston, as well as my role in the WCSFA, I have begun to build a great knowledge of superb local talent and I am really looking forward to being able to implement that at Mousehole this year.

We are all hoping that our coaching qualifications and implementation (all 3 of us qualified at UEFA level), along with some quality signings to an already talented squad, will be the missing pieces of the jigsaw to see us promoted as champions!

I’m looking forward to getting to work and meeting you all soon.

Corey 💚

In the world of football, growth is key. Mousehole Head Coach Andy Graham recently made another trip to Mousehole AFC sponsors, TOVO Academy in Barcelona, seeking once again to enhance his coaching skills. Over four days, Andy delved into TOVO’s renowned coaching approach, witnessing its impact on players and coaches.

At TOVO, 32 players and four coaches from US clubs converged for a week of intensive training. Andy, who has been visiting TOVO for seven years, noticed significant player improvement during the eight sessions he observed.

Andy’s gratitude extends to Todd Beane, TOVO’s founder, for his warm welcome. This visit is part of Mousehole’s ongoing collaboration with TOVO, which also saw Development Head Coach Drew Symons attending a course in Spain recently. We talked previously about Todd and his links to the club in this article.

This partnership symbolizes a shared commitment to football excellence. Through such collaborations, Mousehole and TOVO Academy aim to nurture talented players and skilled coaches, enriching the football landscape.