Tranmere Rovers team up with company to hold girls’ football tournament

Mar 13 2013 by Our Correspondent, Heswall News

TRANMERE Rovers In The Community has teamed up with New Directions Education to run a primary school girls’ football tournament.

New Directions Education sponsored the competition, which was won by Somerville primary school in Wallasey.

The company has a long tradition of supporting primary school soccer in Wales, where it has its headquarters, and wanted to extend the scheme to other areas around its branch offices.

Steve Williams, Tranmere’s community manager, said: “We were delighted when New Directions approached us to see if they could help support primary school sports, and football in particular, in Wirral.

“Everyone hopes this will be the start of a long partnership between the club and community scheme and New Directions. I know their team really enjoyed coming along to watch the games.”

The qualifying matches were played at Pensby high school over two nights before the 20 teams were whittled down to four finalists – New Brighton, Riverside, Somerville and Liscard. Those four then fought it out at the same venue on March 8 for the honour of representing Wirral and the club at the Merseyside Youth Games later in the year.

After some extremely competitive football in dreadful conditions Somerville emerged as winners, seeing off local rivals Liscard in a pulsating final. New Directions funding meant the finalists were able to receive medals and trophies and no one went away empty-handed because there were certificates for all.

Lisa Harper, the New Directions Liverpool branch manager, said: “This is the first time we have been able to get involved with primary school sport in Wirral and with Tranmere Rovers. We hope it is the start of a long-term relationship with the club.’’

Jen Morrison, who is the account manager for Wirral primary schools, said: “It was a real pleasure to meet some of the headteachers, teachers and parents pitchside cheering on their teams.’’