Maccabi GB names 18-man U16 football squad for European Maccabi Games

The selection comes after months of training under the management of Danny Schweiger, Mark Stewart, Sammy Kingston and Steve Grenfell, who between them have represented Maccabi Great Britain an incredible 25 times at international games!

Manchester-based Danny Schweiger and Mark Stewart will lead a group of players they have high hopes for. Together with assistant-manager Sammy Kingston and coach Steve Grenfell, the management team have represented MGB at 25 times at international games.

Schweiger said: “We are delighted with the professionalism the boys have shown over the last few months.

“There is a fantastic balance of experience and first-time Maccabi Games excitement which we are confident will prove successful. We are hoping the experiences Zack Cohen, Tyler Gordon and Aaron Cowland had at the Maccabi Youth Games in 2018, along with the incredible time Ben Barnet, Joe Bregman, Scott Leslie and Josh Ruff had at the JCC Maccabi Games also in 2018 will prove invaluable.

“The key pillars have been laid ensuring that not only the boys have a chance of winning gold but equally important, that they further connect with their own Jewish identities and meet lifelong Jewish friends from other countries.”

Speaking about their aims for Budapest, Stewart said: “We want gold. But we want the team to do it in the right way - by playing some great football, making lasting friendships, educating them on past and present Hungarian Judaism and taking great memories away with them.

“We also want the players (and us as management) to learn from the experience, to help them in future Maccabi Games.”

Kingston returns to the EMG fold after an eight-year absence. He said: “The feeling of representing your country and community is indescribable. To be able to walk out as a proud British Jew and represent Great Britain in any capacity is something very special to me. It’s exciting to be able to pass on my experience to those who haven't yet had that feeling and I cannot wait to share that experience as a squad together.”

SQUAD:

Joseph Abrahams

Ben Barnett

Solly Bradley

Joseph Bregman

Jason Burns

Zack Cohen (VC)

Aaron Cowland

Sam Goldberg

Tyler Gordon

Scott Leslie (C)

Zack Miller