Street Football Team England make maiden visit
The new Street Football Team England squad gathered for the first time at St. George’s Park - the start of a unique opportunity for players who have experienced homelessness or social exclusion to positively transform their lives through football.
The 42-strong squad of men and women selected are taking part in a six-month programme run by the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint, which incorporates intensive educational and personal development sessions alongside specialised street football coaching.
Players are selected for Street Football Team England from inclusion programmes run by professional football clubs across the country, including Arsenal, Southampton and Newcastle United.
Unlike their professional counterparts, Team England players are selected to represent their county based on an inclusive set of criteria including leadership, teamwork and resilience – rather than on footballing ability.
Last week’s three-day training camp saw squad members take part in a kit launch photo shoot, a crucial step in the programme which aims to transform player’s self-perception and instil the confidence needed to set and achieve personal goals.
Players also took part in workshops focussed on developing key life-skills with the learning points reinforced during on-the-pitch training sessions.
The squad will make two further visits to St. George’s Park this year with the world-class facilities playing an important part in inspiring the players.
Each squad member will also represent their country at an international tournament such as the Homeless World Cup in Mexico this November.
FA People’s Cup finals
The FA People’s Cup 2018 was brought to a thrilling end with the finals weekend held at St. George’s Park.
10 categories were decided on day one while a further eight took place on Sunday.
Winners included FC United Women, Nottingham Vets and Danby Rovers.
All were invited to the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday 19 May, where they were able to show off their silverware on the pitch at half-time.
Youth Cup finals
It was double delight for Manchester City's academy at St. George’s Park.
Their U16 girls saw off Reading to lift The FA Girls Youth Cup while the women’s development squad saw off Birmingham City Ladies in a League Cup final.
Sustainability at SGP
April’s Premier League match between Tottenham and Watford at Wembley saw the start of a new partnership between the Premier League Sky Ocean Rescue to #PassOnPlastic.
Here’s a look at The FA’s work to ensure St. George's Park is sustainable environmentally.
