hey<br><br>i just want to ask all witton albion fans if they could try to attend the international on friday. i am a member of the squad and have just got back from scotland where we won 3-0!! we had very little support there and were getin abused by the fans! booing at the national athem! All the squad will be very greatful for all your support!<br><br>Thanks<br><br>Ricky
Hi Ricky:<br><br>I am one of the organisers for Friday night and with the help of the local press and local schools, we have advertised this well. We are anticipating a gate of 1500 so we will certainly be giving you plenty of vocal support.<br><br>Graham Edgeley <br><br>Director, Witton Albion FC<br>
What was the attendance for the game in Scotland anyone know? and Hey Ricky Watch out for G E he might have a signing on form ready for you !!!
Thanks! 1500 supportin us will be great! it was around the 2000 mark i think dont hold me to that tho<br><br>ricky
Not had tickets in my local school. Lucky if the gate is over 500, friday night isn’t the best for footy but I will be there.
Does anyone have any news links about that Scotland game or group standings etc which we could use on the site.<br><br>I’ve done a bit of a google search but can’t seem to find much and the FA site seems badly out of date too?<br>
:
If England did win, looks like the Scots media have kept quiet after this opening game, which was scheduled to take place on the artificial turf at Dunfermline Athletic’s East End Park ground on Friday 25th February 2005.<br><br>As far as I can make out, the Centenary Shield is kind of an under 18’s Schoolboys "Home International" series, where each of the teams plays each other once.<br><br>Last year the Republic of Ireland were the winners, as was the case in 2003.<br><br>2005 fixtures are:-<br><br>Friday 25 Feb 2005 Scotland v England (at Dunfermline) K.O. 7 p.m.<br><br>Friday 04 Mar 2005 England v Northern Ireland (at Witton Albion - was originally going to be at the Reebok Stadium?) K.O. 7 p.m.<br><br>Friday 18 Mar 2005 Republic of Ireland v England (at Cork City FC) K.O. 7 p.m.<br><br>Other games:<br><br>Friday 11 Mar 2005 Scotland v Republic of Ireland (at Deveronvale FC, Banff) K.O. tbc.<br><br>Tuesday 22 Mar 2005 Northern Ireland v Scotland (at Newforge CC, Belfast) K.O. 2 p.m.<br><br>Friday 08 Apr 2005 Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland (at Armagh City FC) K.O. 7 p.m.<br><br><br>So where’s Wales? According to The Daily Telegraph, Wales didn’t take part last season because they couldn’t guarantee playing all their matches (as the Welsh Schools FA do not gain any sponsorship from their governing body). Not sure they’re playing this year either!<br><br><br>
Some more info regarding last Friday night’s opening game at Dunfermline.<br><br>Klukowski marks international debut with 35-yard wonder goal (1/3/05) (Source Bath City F.C. website)<br><br>Yan Klukowski made an immediate mark on the international stage when he struck a stunning 35-yard goal in England Schoolboys 3-0 win over Scotland at Dunfermline last Friday. In front of a 1000 or so spectators at East End Park the 18-year old midfielder captained the side and produced a wonder strike that flew in via the bar for his side’s second goal. He will next don an England shirt when the side faces Northern Ireland at Witton Albion this Friday night.<br><br>
<br><br>And a snippet from the English Schools F.A. website…<br><br>An own goal by Scotland broke the deadlock before Yan Klukowski and Callum Martin added further goals to seal a comfortable win for England.<br><br>P.S. The "tbc" kick-off in my previous posting is also a 7 p.m. kick-off.<br>
G E, with (hopefully) a lot of youngsters going to to the U18 game might it be a good idea to give out a load of tickets for the Spennymoore game on Sunday?
We are handing out flyers showing all the remaining WAFC games.<br><br>Cheers.<br><br>GE<br>
If GE dont do it then nobody else will !!!<br>
:o It was my idea! (Graham is the production line though!)<br><br>However we have a couple of people to hand them out but depending on the gate a couple more would be useful from about 6pm onwards… (bearing in mind the 2 ends are to be opened and all 7 turnstiles etc etc.<br>
Did the under 18’s game take place? (unlike the Witton-Spennymoor game!) If so, what was the score, and how many folk turned up? (Can’t seem to find any write-up anywhere).
Ireland won 1-0 and there were about 900 ish people there.<br><br>It was announced but I can’t remember exactly.
907
I had written a mini report in my head and was ready to post it on the main site, then I got in on Friday and it’d gone!
Yep that sounds about right!
: There’s now a write-up in the on-line version of the Northwich Chronicle…<br><br>[quote]
[size=2][glb]Style but very little substance - Mar 9 2005[/glb][/size]
Northwich Chronicle
WITTON Albion, Cheshire Schools FA personnel and the Northwich public did a first class job for the country on Friday and it was to everyone’s disappointment the effort was not reciprocated by the England players.
The evening - Witton’s first such honour - went efficiently, even if the national anthem did have to warm itself up over the public address system.
Special guests, who included 1966 World Cup winner Roger Hunt, were treated royally and it was a big night for Chronicle mascot competition winners Jason Oultram and Cauley Stewart who led the teams out.
Support approached the four figure mark. Not great, but the players on view were schoolboys so it was a less attractive package than higher level internationals featuring recognised youngsters from professional clubs.
There were no emerging stars with fresh reputations on view and from England’s performance on the night it was difficult to pinpoint any player likely to make the grade.
They had strength and several players of great pace, but they lacked a cohesive gameplan to make either tell against a much smaller Irish team.
But the Irish were well organised and in tigerish midfielder Aidan Watson and goalscorer David Armstrong they had two players who caught the eye.
The goal that settled the game came on 36 minutes when tiny Scott McCormick pinched the ball off giant Carl Martin on the by-line and whipped it into the middle for Armstrong to steer into an unguarded corner of the net.
Preston full-back Kyle Ingham had a precious ability to kick with both feet and stood out as England’s best player. But, having beaten Scotland 3-0 in the opening match of the Centenary Shield, England did not look potential winners. Sadly, on this display, they would fail their football A-level.
For the record the team was: Dan Barker, Kyle Ingham, Charlie Rich, Carl Martin, Chris Whelpdale (Douglas Loft 69), Frannie Collin, Yan Klukowski, Matthew Green, Tom Smith (Callum Martin 56), Scott Brice, Darren Mullings (Robert Hodge 78 )
Attendance: 907.
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