A Telford primary school’s girls football team will experience a taste of life in the Premier League when they take part in a prestigious national tournament at the home of Watford FC.
Redhill Primary Academy’s Year 5/6 team – coached by Shropshire company Crossbar Education in Sport – booked a place in the Premier League Primary Stars tournament after winning an event organised by Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation earlier this year.
They qualified for next week’s national stages – a first for Redhill – by then also winning the regional finals.
Redhill will represent the Wolves Foundation at Watford’s Vicarage Road stadium on Wednesday, May 18, with their squad of eight players facing group games against teams representing Bristol Rovers, Newcastle United, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion.
Claire Whiting, Redhill Primary Academy’s Headteacher, said the school was proud of the team’s achievements and that Crossbar, which delivers sport across the curriculum at the Priorslee school, had played a part in their success.
Mrs Whiting said: “The girls are very excited about having the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be able to play at a stadium the size of Watford’s and against schools from up and down the country. They are looked up to as this amazing team by the other children in school.
“We have always been very passionate at Redhill about sport and encouraging children to develop healthy lifestyles.
“It’s predominantly all about increasing levels of engagement, and this is a really good opportunity to encourage more children to be involved in competitive sport.”
She added: “Crossbar is a great resource to have in school with the PE lessons they deliver and they lead our teams in all competitions .
“They also provide a whole range of high quality clubs that inspire children to stay after school and get more involved in being active.”
Gavin Cowan, Crossbar’s Managing Director, said: “It’s a fantastic achievement for the girls to reach the national finals and we will be with them every step of the way on what will be a very exciting day at Watford.
“Redhill has enjoyed a lot of success around sport and we are proud to be a part of it by helping to support the school’s pupils throughout the year.
“The girls are now going to benefit from experiencing elite facilities at a Premier League club and they should be very proud of themselves.”
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