Surbiton school to represent AFC Wimbledon at Wembley in Utilita Girls Cup final
Players from Surbiton High School will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take to the hallowed Wembley Stadium turf next month, when they compete in the Utilita Girls Cup final as AFC Wimbledon’s representatives.
The team secured their place in the final after victory over Norwich City’s representatives in the southern regional finals earlier this month. The U13 six-a-side tournament took place at Swindon Town’s Foundation Park, with teams for Bristol City and Watford also competing.
In partnership with the EFL, the Utilita Girls Cup is a national tournament which sees some 6,000 girls playing at local and then regional stages. Schools compete to represent their EFL side on the national stadium’s pristine pitch in front of thousands of fans ahead of the EFL Trophy Final on Sunday April 2.
Inspiring children to be active, healthy and develop a strong sense of teamwork, the Utilita Girls Cup celebrates the beautiful game at the heart of communities around the country. The Utilita Kids Cup runs alongside the girls’ with over 12,000 children compete for their chance to play at Wembley Stadium, falling on the same weekend of the EFL play-offs in May.
Nicole Jones, AFC Wimbledon Foundation’s female football development officer said: “Well done to all the girls, they all played super well and should be proud of themselves. They are all very excited and can’t wait for the experience of playing at Wembley Stadium.”
Joel Fontana, Surbiton High School’s coach added: “It is a fantastic achievement reaching the Wembley final, the girls should feel very proud of themselves. At every stage of the competition they showcased their ability to play excellent football, adapt and be resilient in difficult games. This is an amazing opportunity and experience that they have earned.”
Surbiton High School will face Carlisle United representatives Trinity High School, the winner of the Utilita Girls Cup northern finals which were hotly contested at Accrington Stanley’s Stanley Sports Hub earlier this month.
To find out more about the Utilita Girls Cup, and how your school could play its part next year go to www.efl.com/clubs-and-