England v Poland
UEFA European U21 Championship, Qualifying Group 6
8.00pm, Tuesday 11 October 2005
Sheffield Wednesday FC
Ticket Hotline: 0870 999 1867
Adults: £10; Children (under 16) & OAPs: £5

Tickets for England’s Under-21 European Championship qualifier against Poland at Hillsborough are now on general sale.

Peter Taylor’s young Lions side play their final group match in the Steel City on Tuesday 11 October and fans are urged to book their tickets early to avoid disappointment by calling the Sheffield Wednesday ticket hotline on 0870 999 1867.

England are currently neck-and-neck with Germany at the top of Group 6 with 18 points from eight matches after a 1-1 draw in Mainz on Tuesday.

While a place in November’s play-offs is guaranteed, winning the group would mean a draw against a runner-up from another group and playing the second leg at home.

The final eight qualifying countries will then be invited to apply to host the finals tournament to take place in May 2006. 

“I would expect the group to go right to the wire," said U21s Head Coach Taylor. "It’s imperative that we do well in our two remaining matches and home advantage can play a huge part in deciding close games.

“We have achieved a place in the play-off stages with some great results but we’re still aiming at a top finish and, with a very good German side pushing us all the way we must keep putting in strong performances.

“The Under-21s enjoy fantastic support wherever we play, and hopefully we will get a big crowd behind us in Sheffield to create a real atmosphere.”

Kaven Walker, Sheffield Wednesday Chief Executive, is looking forward to welcoming the U21s to Hillsborough: “We’re delighted that The FA has chosen Hillsborough to host such an important fixture and hopefully we’ll have a huge crowd to welcome England to Sheffield.”

The Under 21s have visited Hillsborough on only one previous occasion, when a young Mark Hateley hit four goals in a 6-1 victory over France in the European Under 21 Championships in 1984.

Four days before travelling to Sheffield, England play Austria at Elland Road in Leeds. Kick-off is at 7.45pm on Friday 7 October.