THE 18th Bradley Stoke Youth FC Football Festival proved a great success.
The event on June 8, part of the Bradley Stoke Community Festival, was blessed with excellent weather.
In the morning, fun-based matches were played by Reception children, Year 2 children and U8 girls. The Reception children had a penalty shootout with the Minion in goals. The U8 Girls played their matches on the giant inflatable pitch.
In the afternoon, spectators watched as Year 1 children, Year 3 children, U10 Girls and U12 Girls played their matches. The number of children playing at the event was 146. They all received a medal and certificate with the younger children also receiving a goodie bag.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Bradley Stoke, Natalie Field and Dayley Lawrence, did an efficient job of handing out the medals and cups to the excited children. Matt Wheaton from the Luke Wheaton Legacy Trust was also there to present the annual Luke Wheaton Memorial Cup to the Year 1 children for all of their efforts.
This year was the 20th anniversary of the Football Festival’s partnership with McDonalds and, to celebrate this special milestone event, the fast food giant supplied five massive inflatables for all the community to enjoy free of charge. These included the Inflatable Pitch, the Knee Slider, Dribble Tunnel, Power Save and Speed of Shot. On two of these inflatables, people were trying to save a football coming at them at up to 80mph or trying to shoot a ball into the goal at more than 50mph. The club would like to thank McDonalds for its ongoing support and hopes that this partnership will continue.
The club would also like to thank Bradley Stoke Town Council for its ongoing support with this being the 18th year of the two working together to put this event on. Further thanks go to the Luke Wheaton Legacy Trust for its ongoing support for this event and other funding they provide to the community.