It was a fantastic weekend of football for the club’s U13 Elite and Advanced squads, who made the journey north to compete in the prestigious Blackpool Cup against teams from across the United Kingdom and Europe.

Both teams hit the ground running on Saturday, producing outstanding performances in the group stages. The Elite and Advanced sides each won both of their games, finishing top of their respective groups and securing their places in the A‑Cup quarter-finals, a strong statement of intent against high-quality opposition.

Sunday brought the knockout stages and even more drama. The Elite side continued their impressive run, winning their quarter-final to book a place in the semi-finals. The Advanced team, meanwhile, battled hard but were unlucky to fall to a narrow 3 – 1 defeat, ending their hopes of progressing further in the main competition.

The semi-final proved to be a heartbreaker for the Elite squad. After a closely contested match, the game was decided by a penalty shootout.

Despite the disappointment, both teams showed great character to finish the tournament on a high. The Elite side bounced back brilliantly to win their final match and secure an excellent 3^rd-place finish overall. The Advanced team also ended their campaign with a strong performance, winning their final game to claim 7^th place out of 24 teams.

It was a hugely successful weekend all around, with every player proudly representing the Swindon badge. Across both squads, there were moments of real quality, exciting attacking play, and some superbly taken goals, making it a memorable experience for everyone involved.