Supporters attending this weekend’s FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup Final in Manchester will get the chance to visit The FA Junior Fanzone before the game.
The Fanzones, which are run in association with Continental Tyres, are aimed at children aged 5-16 and provide an interactive football experience ahead of games.
Sunday’s Fanzone will be open from 1pm outside the Academy Stadium, ahead of The Final – where Birmingham City will take on Manchester City (3pm KO), who won FA WSL 1 on Sunday.
Man City v Birmingham
Continental Tyres Cup Final
3pm, Sunday 2 October 2016
Academy Stadium, Manchester
Tickets: £7 adults, £3 concessions
Live on BT Sport
Along with football activities, there will be hair braiding and face painting. There will also be an interactive trailer that houses trophies and digital stations to teach children about aspects of the game and supporters can test their skills and reflexes at the Fanzone’s speed cage, target shoot, quick feet and batak boards.
Everton players Georgia Brougham, Gabby George and Emily Hollinshead will be there to meet fans and Charlotte Lade, one of the world’s leading professional football freestylers, will be doing football demonstrations.
Elsewhere, before the game, more than 300 girls will take part in The FA WSL Continental Tyres Youth Cup Tournament at the Academy training ground.
Thirty-six teams who are part of The FA’s Sister Club programme will take part in the round robin tournament with U10s, U12s, U14s and U16s sides all involved. All players will take part in a half-time pitch parade, where the winning teams will be awarded their trophies.
The Sister Club programme was launched at the start of The FA WSL season and was created to drive girls’ participation at grassroots level and attendances at league matches.
The Sister Club Programme helps girls’ clubs around the country to become affiliated with their local FA WSL club. As part of the programme, Sister Clubs have gained access to hundreds of match tickets, player appearances, coaching sessions, camps and mascot places.
Eleven clubs have taken part – Arsenal, Birmingham City, Bristol City, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Everton, Notts County, Oxford United, Reading, Sheffield FC, Sunderland and Yeovil.
Katie Brazier, FA head of women’s leagues and competitions, said: “With The FA committed to doubling female football participation by 2020, it is important that we use occasions such as this Final to encourage more girls into playing football.
“The Fanzones are very popular with our young fans at our Cup games and England matches and we’re also very happy to welcome so many players from our Sister Club programme to celebrate their involvement in women’s football this year.
“With the newly-crowned champions Manchester City taking on fourth-place Birmingham City, it looks set to be a great Final and a great day out for supporters.”
Felix Ziegler, sponsorship manager at Continental Tyres, said: “We are delighted to be supporting what will be a wonderful sporting occasion for all the family and a showcase for women’s football at the highest level.
“Before the match, our interactive fanzone will give fans the opportunity to take part in a range of football activities as well as provide coaches with the chance to enhance their knowledge through the ContiWarmUp Programme.”
Women and girls across the country will have an opportunity to play football when FA Girls’ Football Week takes place from Monday 10 October.
Visit FAGirlsFootballWeek.com to find out how to get involved.
