John Barnes supports youngsters in Tesco Cup Final
More than 150 young footballers from across the UK will enjoy a once in a lifetime experience on Sunday, having earned their place in the Tesco Cup Final at the Reebok Stadium. Not only will they get to play on a Premiership football ground, but they will be given the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of former England international and Liverpool legend, John Barnes.
The Tesco Cup is a home nations grassroots football competition across three age groups, U13 boys, U14 girls and U16 girls. Over 3,600 teams from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales entered the initial stages of the 2010 Tesco Cup. Now, following County, Regional and National Finals, just 4 teams remain in each age group, all bidding to be crowned 2010 UK Champions.
Tesco Cup ambassador, Barnes, will lend his support to the young stars by passing on skills, tips and advice, as well as conducting the prize-giving. Joining the celebrations at the home of Bolton Wanderers, will be Tesco's CEO and avid football supporter, Sir Terry Leahy.
Speaking ahead of the Tesco Cup UK final, John Barnes commented, ‘For these youngsters, being given the chance to play at a Premiership ground is a dream come true. To reach the Tesco Cup final is the equivalent of their FA Cup or World Cup even, so there's sure to be a lot of hopes pinned on Sunday. I have attended Tesco Cup competitions before and have always been impressed with the standard of football within these age groups. In my experience there are players in this competition who are good enough to be academy players. The Tesco Cup tournament provides a great opportunity for talented footballers to be spotted.'
Sir Terry Leahy added, ‘The number of Tesco Cup participants has now grown to over 60000, which proves the popularity of tournament. It is an incredible achievement for the 12 teams who have reached the competition climax. I wish all the youngsters a great day and look forward to watching them in action at the Reebok stadium.'
In 2009, it was a clean sweep for England at the Tesco Cup UK final, with Stokesley FC winning the U13 boys final, Manchester City victorious in the U14 girls age category and Manchester United taking the U16 girls title.
This year the line up is:
U13 Boys:
England- AFC Wimbledon
Northern Ireland - Linfield FC
Scotland – Tynecastle FC
Wales – Mostyn Dragons FC
U14 Girls:
England- QPR
Northern Ireland –Newry City
Scotland - Kilwinning Sports Club
Wales –Prestatyn FC
U16 Girls:
England- West Ham
Northern Ireland – Sion Swifts
Scotland – Hibernian Girls
Wales –Cardiff City
The Tesco Cup is part of a wider commitment from Tesco to encourage children to get involved in sport. Now in its fifth year, Tesco works in conjunction with the FA and local communities to provide young footballers with the opportunity to play in a structured competition, at a national and international level.
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