English Schools' Football Association

English Schools' International football
 is back at the new Wembley Stadium

England Schools’ Under 18 side will take on home nation rivals Scotland at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 26 April 2008 in a Centenary Shield match for the inaugural ‘Bobby Moore Trophy’.

Wembley Stadium

The match will see England Schools returning to the national stadium after a gap of nine years and continues Wembley's long and rich history of hosting England Schools’ matches and showcasing the English talent of the future.

The fixture is a repeat of the first ever schools' international played at Wembley in 1950, where England won 8-2 against the Scots. The game attracted a crowd of 53,000 and showcased the talents of Johnny Haynes who went on to become captain for both club and country at senior level. One year later the great Duncan Edwards, whose life and career was tragically cut short by the Munich air disaster, made his debut appearance at Wembley in an England Schools' match against Wales in 1951 - a game which England won 3-0.

The English Schools’ Football Association (ESFA) will be supporting the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK by donating 5% of the net proceeds from the event to help tackle bowel cancer through vital research work.

Bobby Moore
Statue
Wembley Stadium

Furthermore, Bobby’s wife Stephanie, founder of the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK, will be presenting the winning team with the inaugural “Bobby Moore Trophy”.

Howard Webb, one of England’s top referees, has agreed to officiate the match and the world famous tenor, Martin Toal, has agreed to sing the National Anthems on the day.

Immediately before the international match, Wembley will also stage the finals of the four National Competitions for Primary Schools (kick-off 12.25pm). This will allow in excess of 100 Year 6 pupils the opportunity of playing small-sided soccer at the new Wembley Stadium. Following on from the Primary Schools Finals, kicking off at 2pm, there will be a charity match between two celebrity teams, with a Sir David Frost XI taking on a Rod Stewart XI.

John Read : Chief Executive of ESFA

The ESFA is delighted to be returning to Wembley in April. This builds on our rich history of holding English Schools’ Football at the national stadium and gives some of this country’s most talented young players the unique opportunity to showcase their skills at football’s spiritual home. The opportunity to see the under 11s play on the famous Wembley pitch as well as a star studded line up in the celebrity match and a full schools’ international, should not be missed. This is a truly fantastic day out for schools and football fans of all ages – don’t miss it!

Alex Horne : Managing Director of Wembley Stadium

Every footballer, both young and old dreams of walking out at Wembley and this is sure to be an inspirational experience for potential young England stars of the future. The ESFA have put together an exciting line up of activity to complement the Centenary Shield game and it’s set to be a fantastic family day out.

Ticketing/Event Information

• Tickets for the game are £25 with generous discounts available for group bookings
• To book tickets call the ESFA ticket line on 01785 785 970
• National Express Coaches are providing charter group travel to Wembley Stadium for this event. To book or for more information visit: www.nationalexpress.com/eventsolutions
• For more information on the event please visit www.esfa.co.uk/wembley