England Lionesses ready to roar at Telford
England boss Lois Fidler today declared her side are "ready" for their UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship opener against Italy at AFC Telford United.
The Young Lionesses arrive in Shropshire this week to begin their challenge at the New Bucks Head tomorrow afternoon.
It hosts the opening ceremony and the first game of the tournament, kicking off at 12.30pm, with a Fan Zone from 10.30am.
Fidler will then run the rule over their other competitors in Group A, Austria and Portugal, when they play at the same venue tomorrow night, starting at 7pm.
A podium finish of, at least third, is the top target for England and would earn them a spot at the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica next year.
All of the competing nations will be based at St George's Park, the Football Association's national centre near Burton-on-Trent, and Fidler admitted her players can hardly wait to get started.
She said : "We have been preparing for this all year and it's great to be nearly under-way. I'm sure the other squads will enjoy the excellent facilities along with us.
"Our players are inspired by St George's Park, it's our home and we are ready."
The England squad and coach have familiarised themselves with Telford having already played a game on their turf, a 5-0 friendly win over Wales last month.
Fidler and Co were then special guests for the Bucks' 3-1 win at home to Stalybridge Celtic on November 9, so they already consider the ground a home from home.
She said: "We have been to AFC Telford twice now. The first time we won an international against Wales, which gave us the familiarity with the ground we needed.
"The second time we were guests at a league match where we were able to really appreciate the atmosphere in the stadium. The crowd were great!
"They gave us a standing ovation and clapped us round the ground. We can't wait to come back and kick off the tournament there. We are looking forward to it."
Tickets for tomorrow's games are available from the club office on 01952 640 064 or online at wu17ticketing.thefa.com.
Adult admission is £3, while concessions and children are £1.50. Standing tickets for the David Hutchison Stand will be available on the day.
