Express & Star

Fans meet their West Brom heroes at grassroots initiative

Youngsters from two West Midlands schools quizzed Albion boss Steve Clarke and defender Liam Ridgewell as the pair hosted a question-and-answer session at The Hawthorns.

Published

Students from Brownhills High School in Deakin Avenue, Brownhills and Aston Manor High School in Phillips Street, Birmingham, visited The Hawthorns as part of a link-up with the Albion Foundation.

Head coach Clarke and left-back Ridgewell posed for pictures and signed autographs as well as fielding questions from the cricket-mad youngsters.

Melvyn Wilkes, player and coach development officer at the Albion Foundation, said: "The students really enjoyed the opportunity to see behind-the-scenes at Albion and found it really interesting to chat to Steve and Liam about their experiences in the game.

"They're all big football fans so it was excellent to be given the chance to learn more about life in the Barclays Premier League. This is a new group and we hope the experience will inspire them to achieve their ambitions and secure some brilliant BTEC qualifications with us."

Baggies boss Steve Clarke, fourth right, joins Ridgewell to meet and greet students at the Barclays community event at The Hawthorns

The students, who are studying for their vocational BTEC qualifications as a part of a post-16 football academy in partnership with the Albion Foundation, also had behind-the-scenes tour around the Hawthorns.

The Albion Foundation was formed in 1992 and runs football projects in the boroughs of Sandwell, Birmingham, Dudley and Worcestershire.

The pair were taking time out from training ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Fulham while many of Ridgewell's team-mates are away on international duty for the various World Cup qualifiers.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.