Cup-Winning Bedfordshire Girls' Team Rewarded With Vertu Trophy Final Tickets
A cup-winning school team from Leighton Buzzard is looking forward to a trip to Wembley Stadium for the upcoming EFL Trophy Final after being surprised with tickets by competition sponsor Vertu.
The Gilbert Inglefield Academy Under-11 girls team were invited to attend an open training session with Luton Town as a reward for winning the South East regional final of the Premier League Primary Stars National Girls’ tournament.
Representing the Luton Town Community Trust, the team earned a place in the national finals with a 1-0 victory against Watford, and will now be one of 20 teams looking to win the competition overall.
The trip to Kenilworth Road was organised by Vertu, the fourth largest automotive retailer in the UK, as part of its ongoing partnership with the English Football League (EFL) as excitement builds for the Vertu Trophy Final at Wembley.
Having enjoyed a tour of the ground and watched the first team train, the girls from Gilbert Inglefield were then given a surprise by first team manager Jack Wilshere.
The former England international broke the news that the team will be present at Wembley as Luton Town chase a second Vertu Trophy success against Stockport County, with Vertu donating tickets for the team to attend the match on 12 April.
Vincenzo Russo, PE & Sport Lead at Gilbert Inglefield Academy, said: “The girls did a brilliant job to beat Watford in the final of the South East qualifiers, and to be rewarded with the chance to spend time at Kenilworth Road and meet Jack and the players was amazing.
“Being told by Jack that they will be going to Wembley to cheer on Luton Town in the Vertu Trophy Final was a huge surprise, and it’s a fantastic reward for their success so far. A huge thank you had to go to the Club and to Vertu for the opportunity to attend the match, and create even more memories.
“I expect it to be a tight game, and I’m predicting Luton to win 2-1 with an injury time goal so the girls can go crazy celebrating!”
Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu, said: “We’re delighted to reward the Gilbert Inglefield Academy team with the opportunity to attend the Vertu Final this season.
“Qualifying for the final of a national competition is no mean feat, and hopefully the experience of a trip to Wembley will help to drive them on to further success in the future.”