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Matthew Bowman, 9, lines up for Leeds United
A Scarborough youngster is in line to make his debut for Leeds United Academy under-nines against Newcastle United on Sunday.
Matthew Bowman, a pupil at St Martin's School, has been training with the Academy since October and will also line up against Manchester United, Manchester City, Sheffield Wednesday, Bolton and Leicester City in the Academy North League in the coming months.
Matthew, nine, trained with the Scarborough Academy set-up from the age of six, and after joining Scalby FC last year he played in several tournaments in the north-east, attracting the attention of Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Leeds.
He attended training sessions at both Middlesbrough and Leeds and was invited to join Middlesbrough until the end of the season, but after impressing with the shadow squad at Leeds' Thorp Arch training ground the talented youngster was moved up into the Academy squad in October and opted for the Yorkshire outfit.
Matthew follows in the family footsteps of a long line of footballers.
Dad John played for Scarborough, Pickering Town and Whitby Town and was player/manager of Brid, while grandad Geoff played football and cricket for Scarborough and was Colin Appleton and Neil Warnock's assistant in the old glory days of Scarborough FC.
Matthew's grandad on his mum's side - Barrie Geldart - also enjoyed a fine career in the game, playing for Whitby Town in the old Amateur Cup final at Wembley in 1965 before becoming chief scout with Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers.
Matthew said: "I'm really looking forward to playing for Leeds on Sunday.
"The standard at this level is amazing, but our coach prepares us well and encourages to do the things we work on in training.
"My aim over the next six weeks when I am on my official trial period, is to succeed in being offered a contract for next season.
"I would like to thank Mark Barber and Steve Marsden for working with me when I first started playing, Gary Hodgson and the Scalby lads who asked me to play for them last year, and Dave Grosse at the Leeds United Development Centre in Bridlington who recommended me for trials at Leeds, as well as Chris Hutchinson at Brazilian Soccer Schools."
As well as his footballing talents, Matthew has been a big success in other sports.
He was the winner of this year's primary schools cross-country league in the year three and four section and has also been selected to attend coaching with the District Cricket Development group whose training begins on Sunday.
Sporting all-rounder Matthew will have to excuse himself from that while he takes the first steps on what he hopes will prove to be a successful career in his favourite sport of football.
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Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 28 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: West
