English Schools' Football Association

Ewood Park will host the U18 Boys’ Elite football celebration on 31 March

This season has seen teams from across the country enter into 45 English Schools’ FA National Cup competitions to compete for the opportunity to be crowned National Champions. As part of this extensive programme of activity, the Elite Cup final will be hosted at the fantastic home of Blackburn Rovers FC.

Friday 31 March

1:30pm KO

Monkseaton High School (North Tyneside) v Hartpury College (West Gloucestershire)

The two finalists have battled it out through six rounds to make it through to these prestigious National Finals, with 2017 being the first season to launch the new Elite Cup competition. For the first time, Schools and Colleges that run Football Academy Programmes have had the opportunity to play each other at this Elite competition level to determine the best in the Country. The event will be a celebration of top level football and pay tribute to the outstanding quality of skills showcased through the ESFA and the fantastic young players developed by the schools’ football system

Blackburn Rovers have been kind enough to allow us to utilise their fantastic Stadium facilities and we want to welcome as many spectators as possible on the day – the atmosphere in the stadium makes all the difference to the teams! Admission to the finals is just £4 adults and free entry for students up to 18 years – spectators can arrive from 12:45pm via Turnstile J and a kiosk will be open in the concourse to purchase refreshments. Match day programmes will also be available to buy for just £1.

Hospitality packages for both matches are now also available online until Monday 20 March. This gives spectators the opportunity to support their teams in style! Hospitality packages include:

• Pre-match and half time refreshments in the Directors’ Guest Lounge
• Match ticket and Directors’ Box seating
• Souvenir match programme
• Post-match meal, with the Players, Officials and VIPs

You can find further details and also purchase packages directly through our website here. If you require any further information, please email Sarah Kearney directly.

This season’s Under 18 National Cup competitions have been sponsored by Hudl – providers of sport analysis software that is simple to use and can create fantastic results. If you want to find out how Hudl can work for your teams or schools then have a look at their website here.

We would like to welcome as many spectators as possible along to witness what’s sure to be a fantastic show of footballing talent, however, if you are unable to make it don’t despair – all National Finals this season will be streamed live online and for FREE via our YouTube channel, ESFA TV. You can also keep up with live match feeds and updates via our Twitter account, with match feeds supplied by ClubApp – you can download the app free from the App Store or GooglePlay to find out more!

The ESFA would like to wish the very best of luck to both teams competing in these prestigious cup finals and we look forward to welcoming everyone to Blackburn Rovers on the 31^st!