English Schools' Football Association

Neil Pont, ESFA Chairman

Over the weekend 7^th- 10^th September I was delighted to accept an invitation from Danone to attend the Danone Nations Cup Finals held in Warsaw - what a spectacular event this is! And it is coming to England next season too. I do encourage you to visit www.danonenationscup.com to get a flavour of what a wonderful experience this is for everyone concerned. I was hosted by John Scales (the ex-member of the Wimbledon Crazy Gang!) with whom we work in building up the excellent relationship ESFA has with Danone. The Chief Executive will soon be able to tell you more about how that relationship is blossoming and how Danone’s sponsorship of ESFA will grow.

Our U12 national cup is used as the qualifying competition to decide who represents England at the Nations Cup Finals. Forest Hill School (Blackheath) are our national champions and the team that went to Warsaw was led by Kris Hollidge who teaches there. Sending a good representative team is always a challenge for us because of the age-band structure of the competition. The competition is run on a January - December age-band while we, in schools’ football, run our competitions on a September - August age-band. Consequently a good number of Forest Hill’s winning team were ineligible to represent ESFA at the tournament because they were too old. Players from runners-up Malet Lambert School (Hull) were invited to join the squad along with a couple of players from Harefield (Hillingdon) and St. Margaret’s (Liverpool).

To help the players get to know each other they met at Repton School (as part the ESFA U18 elite coaching week) and worked with Kris Hollidge and John Scales to help them develop a team ethic and understanding.

Then it was off to Warsaw. The teams start by playing in a ‘group stage’ against 4 other teams. The English boys started with a creditable draw against pre-tournament favourites Brazil, played another draw with Belarus, then lost by the only goal of the game to a very skilful South Korea (who went on to win the competition) and ended the day with a resounding 3-0 defeat of Algeria.

This placed them 3^rd in the group and determined whom they would play on the next day in the ‘placing stage’. This series of games gives you a place in the pecking order of the 37 nations and sorts out who you play in the grand finals day - which was played in the magnificent Polish national stadium, newly built for the Euro Finals 2012. A loss to Saudi Arabia and wins over Russia and Belgium meant that England would play for 25^th/26^th places against, wait for it…., Germany!

So, on a beautiful sunny day in front of 40,000 people England once again took on Germany. 1966 was not to be repeated - a tall, skilful German team emerged as 3-0 winners though, had 2 very clear chances towards the end of the game been converted, the result could have easily looked different.

But, if ever there is an occasion where the result is secondary, this is it. Of course, every match was keenly contested and there was elation in winning and tearfulness in defeat. But the spirit was marvellous and the sheer joyfulness of the event was of paramount importance. I congratulate Danone on their concept of bringing young people together from around the world who speak a common language - that of football. And I also congratulate them on their organisational skills and the manner in which the whole Nations Cup is conducted.

On behalf of ESFA I would like to thank Kris Hollidge for the exemplary way that he led our team and I congratulate the players on the manner in which they carried the flag for school football both on and off the field. Their behaviour and commitment could not be faulted.

John Read speaks elsewhere of the Olympic legacy and how we must build on all the positive experiences of this great summer of sport. If we can capture in our domestic football a little of what the playersdiscovered in Warsaw we will surely be enhancing the lives of our young players. Meeting and mixing with other young people; respecting your opponents and congratulating them on their success; winning with good grace and losing with dignity; enjoying playing the game just for itself - all these elements, and many more, help to develop and educate our young people to become the citizens we would wish them to become.

As the new school year starts and another football season gets underway I look forward with great optimism to the whole family of ESFA - from the player representing his school for the first time through to grizzled administrators in every County - getting all that they can from this great organisation. The ‘feel good’ factor is palpable - we must build upon it.