A GLOUCESTERSHIRE junior football team enjoyed a thrilling finale to their season after winning an exclusive training session from Cheltenham Town head coach Wade Elliott.
Longlevens Lions under 13s claimed the prize in a special competition run by Robins and club partners Selco Builders Warehouse, which has a branch on Festival Park in Cheltenham.
The team, which play in the Seven Valley Youth League under 13 B Division, also won 20 tickets to a League One game at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium and a new kit for the 2023-24 season.
Former Burnley and Bournemouth midfielder Wade attended the training session at the Lions’ home pitch of Innsworth Lane Playing Fields.
Wade said: “I had a brilliant night with Longlevens Lions and I only hope that the lad enjoyed it half as much as I did.
“The grassroots game is football at its purest. You have coaches giving up their time to help youngsters and children with huge smiles on their faces playing for the love of it. With the pressure in the professional game, you sometimes forget what football is all about but it was great to go back and get that feeling of playing with your best mates.
“All the players live within a stone’s throw of the pitch and I could tell throughout the session that there was a great spirit and friendship amongst the team.”
The competition was open to any boys or girls team playing in a recognised league at any age group between under eights and under 15s in or around Cheltenham.
Chris Theyer, manager of Longlevens Lions, said: “We were thrilled to win the prize and the lads have had a wonderful experience from it. A few of them have never been to a professional match so to have the chance to go and watch Cheltenham was great. To then have Wade, who has played in the Premier League and is now first team coach at our local club, was fantastic.
“He really got involved in the session and gave the team a brilliant insight into life in professional football and some tips about how they could improve as individuals and as a team.
“For me as a coach, it was also great to have the chance to pick Wade’s brains and pick up one or two points. It was a fantastic experience all round and we are very grateful to both Selco and Cheltenham Town.”
For contact details, see page 8 of our June/July 2023 issue on our Back Issues page.
