The Football Association [The FA] marked the conclusion of Black History Month by linking local schoolchildren with former England stars Glen Johnson and Rachel Yankey OBE.
Yesterday [31 October] the former players – who have almost 180 international caps between them – led a coaching session with boys and girls at Brent’s Capital City Academy, a specialist sports and arts academy for children located just a few miles from Wembley Stadium connected by EE.
The coaching session was followed by a panel facilitated by Garth Crooks, Chair of Governors at Capital City Academy, where the children spent time talking to the former England internationals about their careers and their experiences growing up with aspirations of becoming professional athletes. Paul Elliott, former footballer and Chair of The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board, also joined the panel to discuss the contribution made by black and dual heritage players along England’s journey to this point.
Conclusion of Black History Month 2019, Capital City Academy, London, UK – 31 Oct 2019
Photo: Joanne Davidson for The FA
With the Three Lions set to welcome Montenegro to Wembley in a UEFA EURO 2020 qualifier match on Thursday 14 November – an occasion which will mark 1,000 England men’s matches – the panel also gave out 30 match tickets to give the pupils the chance to cheer on the team.
Paul Elliott, Chair of The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board, said: “It was a great afternoon and an opportunity to come together with younger people within our local community to celebrate the conclusion of Black History Month.
“We were very excited to join the children for what was a fun and informative afternoon sharing our experiences, hopefully inspiring the next generation of footballers and future regular Wembley Stadium attendees.”
