Two Shropshire primary schools reach national football finals

Two Shropshire primary school football teams will take to the field this week bidding to become national champions.

Crudgington Primary School and Greenfields Primary School in Shrewsbury are two of just a handful of sides to qualify for the English Schools’ Football Association Primary Schools’ Cup, from an entry pool of around 5,000 teams.

Both schools progressed through the Shropshire stage before competing against sides from across the Midlands at regional finals, ultimately securing their place in the national finals at the Bet365 Stadium, home of Stoke City, on Friday.

It promises to be a memorable occasion for pupils, staff and parents, who will watch on from the stands as the teams compete for national glory.

The Crossbar Coaching Education in Sport group, founded by Shrewsbury Town boss Gavin Cowan, delivers coaching in both schools.

Head of education and training at Crossbar, Josh Green said: “It’s fantastic, the children are really excited. They have been putting the work in, at lunch times, break times. We have put on some extra football sessions to try and go through some tactics, different formations and styles of play.

“What a great day it will be for the children and the school, to get their name out there, and for all the work that goes on behind the scenes. It’s a wonderful accolade.”

The competition, now in its fourth year, is the largest primary schools’ cup tournament in the country. This year, more than 5,000 schools and over 50,000 children have taken part in matches across England.

It features three categories: the Under-11 Schools’ Cup - in which Greenfields compete - the Under-11 Girls’ Schools’ Cup, and the Under-11 Small Schools’ Cup, in which Crudgington participate.

As across the wider county, Crossbar’s coaches work within both schools, delivering physical education and extracurricular activities.

Green added: “It has been really good to see our sports coaches helping these children achieve something so big. What a great thing for the whole of Shropshire!”

Crossbar provides coaching and education to children at Greenfields on a full-time basis, where Green himself worked for 10 years. At Crudgington, coaching is delivered across a single school day, alongside extracurricular sessions.

He continued: “Greenfields is perhaps a bit more personal for me because I was there for 10 years, so I have seen these children come all the way from reception all the way up to year six. It has been magnificent, and what a team they have got.

“It’s the same with Crudgington, the sports coaches that are in there delivering on a weekly basis, the effort and hard work they are putting in is paying off, it is brilliant to see.”