Express & Star

Talented teens heading for Walsall

Walsall are to host some of the brightest talent in the country as England’s under-18 Schoolboys take on the Republic of Ireland at Bescot.

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Next Friday’s fixture is England Schoolboys’ first home fixture of the SAFIB Centenary Shield.

The clash will be England’s second game of the competition which sees Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, England and The Republic of Ireland compete against each other in a round-robin format.

England shared the shield of the prestigious tournament – which was founded in 1973 – with Wales last year. The English Schoolboys were beaten 3-0 by Northern Ireland in their first match of the competition in February, and sit bottom of the group standings.

Stafford-based Jonah Scutt, who playes for Brocton FC, features in the England squad after making it through the three rounds of trials he was nominated for by the Staffordshire County Schools’ FA.

The schoolboys are hoping for a strong backing at Bescot, and tickets are available for purchase via Walsall FC’s official website, priced at £8 for adults and £5 for concessions. There is also a group offer on tickets where two adults attend for free when buying 10 children’s tickets.

Their clash with the 2018 winners next Friday is also available for live viewing via the Channel 4 streaming app. Coverage starts at 6:45pm with kick-off 15-minutes later.