On Friday, 29th November, Pompey in the Community proudly hosted another exciting round of the Utilita Energy Girls Cup, and what a fantastic day it was!
Ten schools from across the area came together to showcase their skills and love for football in a competitive yet friendly atmosphere. The tournament featured two groups of five teams, with the top two from each group progressing to the semi-finals. The energy and sportsmanship on display were truly inspiring.
The grand final saw Horndean take on Petersfield in a nail-biting match. After some excellent play, Horndean came out on top, earning their well-deserved spot in the Area Finals, set to take place during the week commencing 13th January 2025. Impressively, this marks the second consecutive year that Horndean has won our event – a huge congratulations to them!
We’d also like to give a big shoutout to all the schools who participated:
- Springfield
- Bay House
- Cowplain
- Havant Academy
- Petersfield
- Horndean
- Park Community
- Crookhorn
- Warblington
- Purbrook Park
Additionally, a heartfelt thank you goes out to our BTEC and Degree students who officiated the games with professionalism and enthusiasm. Your hard work ensured the day ran smoothly!
We’re excited to see Horndean represent us in the next stage of the competition, and we wish them the best of luck in January. Let’s keep the Pompey spirit alive!
The winners will play in the Regional Finals, against teams representing other EFL clubs in the South West. The next Jamal Musiala, Adam Wharton or Ellie Roebuck could be unearthed in a Final at Wembley Stadium!
Two-time winner Musiala lit up Euro 2024 in the same vein as he did when he was a two-time Kids Cup winner, initially representing Brentford in 2013 before returning with AFC Wimbledon ahead of the 2014 Play-Off Final at the national stadium. Along with Musiala and Wharton, the Kids Cup competition has also seen the likes of Denmark and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Matt O’Reilly and Scotland and Napoli’s Scott McTominay feature successfully.
While in the Girls Cup, Roebuck was no stranger to the big stage long before appearances for the Lionesses and Team GB,when she represented Sheffield United between 2011 and 2013.
This season, more than 2,500 schools and 20,000 schoolchildren up and down the country will take to the pitch in two of thecountry’s biggest national football competitions for schools and children, presented by the EFL and title partners, Utilita Energy.
The Girls Cup will progress through Local, Area and Regional Finals with two lucky schools representing their local EFL Club at Wembley ahead of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy Final on April 13, 2025.
Participants in the Kids Cup will progress through local area matches before representing their local team of the 72 EFL Clubs across the three divisions. The winners of the regional finals will then play on the hallowed turf of the national stadium ahead of the three EFL Play-Off Finals during the May Bank holiday weekend.
To launch the 2024⁄25 season, former Everton and England Lionesses winger, Toni Duggan and former Birmingham City forward and Republic of Ireland international, Clinton Morrison today joined more than 100 young aspiring footballers atWalsall Football Club – the local EFL Club represented by reigning back-to-back Kids Cup national winners, Cooper & Jordan Church of England School.
Toni Duggan said: “Heading into a Women’s Euros year next year, it’s so special to see the amount of support that the Lionesses have received, translate into strong participation numbers in school football for young girls.
“From what I’ve seen and heard, the standard of the Utilita Girls Cup continues to rise year-on-year and I’m hopeful that this tournament will see a young girl follow the same path as one of my old team-mates, Ellie Roebuck, who played in this cup during her school years, into representing her country.”
Clinton Morrison said: “I’m excited to be back involved with the Utilita Kids Cup, it’s a fantastic competition and the opportunity that these kids will get to potentially play at Wembley is amazing.
“Not even some of the very best footballers in history have got that chance in their lifetime, and to be able to do so at such a young age will no doubt inspire them for years. I wish every participant all the best this season.”
Alongside the Kids and Girls Cups, Utilita’s Football Rebooted movement is testament to supporting football at all levels, encouraging people to donate used boots they no longer need or have grown out of and redistributing them to pupils, local children or community groups in need of a pair, free of charge. Find out more at www.footballrebooted.co.uk.
Bill Bullen, Chief Executive Officer at Utilita Energy, said: “At Utilita, we believe everyone should have access to play football. The sport plays an important role in supporting local communities and providing a sustainable pathway for future generations – it unites both businesses and fans across the UK.
“We’re proud to be able to cheer on every competitor in this season’s Utilita Kids and Girls Cup and to provide children with the once in a lifetime opportunity to play at Wembley Stadium.”
To find out more, visit: https://www.efl.com/utilitakidscup or https://football.utilita.co.uk/kids-cup
