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Football stars have a ball in Altrincham

Katherine Vine
19/10/2007

AN ALTRINCHAM school has pitched in to help England in their touch-and-go battle to reach the Euro ’08 championships.

The England team trained on the £1 million artificial pitch at Blessed Thomas Holford College on Monday because it is similar to the one where they played their crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Russia in Moscow on Wednesday.

Unfortunately England lost that game.

Headteacher John Cornally said: “It was a really excellent day – the kids were pretty excited. The great thing is that we got the balance right. We were commended afterwards by the Football Association and the England management because they said it was a really professional event, so we were very pleased with that.”

Steve McClaren’s staff arranged for all the players to sign a football and a shirt to give to the college, and the FA made a donation to the school in return for using the pitch. It ususally costs £92 an hour to use the pitch, and the donation “more than covered” the hire cost.

The pupils carried on with their lessons as normal, but they all went out to watch the coach leaving and a couple got autographs, according to the college’s director of sport Caroline Pearson.

The head at nearby St Vincent’s RC Junior School, Damian Carr, decided to close the school for the day for “security reasons,” saying he had only been officially informed of the squad’s visit a few days before.

This decision was called ridiculous by Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, and “a complete overreaction” by leader of Trafford’s Labour Group, Councillor David Acton.

Mr Seaton said: “It is ludicrous that 350 children will miss a day’s education just because the England team are training nearby.”

Cllr Acton said: “It is a complete over-reaction to keep children at home for the day. We should be welcoming the England football team, not turning our backs on them.”

However, many St Vincent’s pupils turned up anyway with their parents to watch the players. Hollie Durkin, 10, went home with Steven Gerrard’s training top after he threw it over the fence into the crowd at the end of training. She said: “Seeing the players was amazing.” Her aunt, Jacqueline Durkin, said: “It was a good idea to close the school. The headteacher was thinking of the children.”

Click on the video screen for Channel M's report ...