The Premier League Schools Tournament Final, which has seen nearly 10,000 young people from around 1,500 schools take part, will kick off on Wednesday at the home of Blackburn Rovers.
Each Barclays Premier League club has hosted their own tournament for schools in their area. The winners of each of these tournaments earned the right to wear that club’s strip in a regional final against other club winners in their area. The winners of these four regional finals have now qualified for the big day at Ewood Park.
The tournament has two separate six-a-side competitions: an Under 11 mixed and Under 13 girls. Eight teams in each are now through to the final. The finalists will have a day to remember as they go through a full Premier League match day experience.
The teams will use the first-team dressing rooms, run out on to the pitch through the tunnel to the Premier League anthem and have their matches officiated by top flight referees.
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The Premier League Schools Tournament is one element of ‘Creating Chances’, the Premier League’s extensive community programme delivered by the 20 top flight clubs.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore will also be at the final. He said: “This is the fifth Premier League Schools Tournament we have run and every year it gets bigger, involving even more schools and nearly 10,000 young people.
“The finalists will now get a unique opportunity to experience what it would be like to be a Premier League player on match day. Running out at Ewood Park wearing their club shirt will be something I am sure they will never forget.
“The Premier League Schools Tournament is just part of the work that the Barclays Premier League clubs deliver in their communities, which is now at a scale that only a few years ago would have seemed impossible.”
Last season’s Premier League Schools Tournament Final, played at Old Trafford, saw Dorridge Junior School of Solihull win the Under 11 mixed competition playing as Aston Villa. They won 1-0 against St Peters Smithills Dean Primary School representing Bolton Wanderers.
And Durham Johnston Lower School won the Under 13 girls for Newcastle United, beating Middlesbrough 3-2 on penalties following a 0-0 draw.
The following schools will represent their local clubs in this year’s finals.
Under 11 mixed
Bolton Wanderers – Claypool Primary School
Aston Villa – Monkspath Junior and Infant School,
Tottenham Hotspur – Oakthorpe Primary School
Stoke City – Cheadle Primary School
Manchester United – Chepstow Road
Blackburn Rovers – Bolton-le-Sands Primary School
Fulham – Hatfeild Primary School
Portsmouth – Bentley Church of England Primary School
Under 13 girls
Hull City – South Hunsley School
Wigan Athletic – Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Engineering College
Aston Villa – Shelfield Community Academy
Sunderland – St. Anthony’s Girls’ School,
Everton – Broughton Hall High School (Technology College)
Blackburn Rovers – Haslingden High School
Arsenal – Holloway School
Portsmouth – Mayfield School
“This is the fifth Premier League Schools Tournament and every year it gets bigger” – Richard Scudamore
Credits: PremierLeague.com
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