The Prince of Wales, President of the FA, visited England’s national football centre at St. George’s Park to mark its 10th anniversary as the home of English football.
As well as acting as the base for the national senior men’s and women’s, para and development squads, since 2012 St. George’s Park has supported a huge breadth of grassroots engagement alongside professional training, sports science and coach education to help foster a thriving football community across England.
The Prince of Wales’ visit reflected on the diversity of sport, with His Royal Highness meeting with and learning from para-footballers, young footballers from across the region and competitors at this year’s Street Child World Cup about the opportunities afforded to them through football.
Everton in the Community will represent Team England at the Street Child World Cup and were invited to St. George’s Park for a unique training session with FA-qualified coaches ahead of the tournament in Qatar. Teams from 25 countries will come together in Doha, Qatar, to compete and promote the power of sport to change the way the world perceives street-connected young people, so they can be protected, respected and supported to build a life away from the streets.
Since its opening in 2012, the performance-first environment at St. George’s Park has supported 12 England tournament wins, including summer successes at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and European U19 Men’s Championship
None of the activity that takes place at St. George’s Park would be possible without the committed work of countless backroom staff, whether that be coaching teams, administrative support, groundskeepers, kitmen, programme coordinators, outreach officers, wardens, chefs, physios – the list goes on.
His Royal Highness also met with staff supporting the various teams throughout the day to understand their particular importance to St. George’s 10-year history.