The Clock is Ticking for Schools' Cup Finalists

On the eve of the UEFA Champions League Final in Athens, England's best young footballers will be challenging for their own glory in the National Finals of Europe's largest 11-a-side schools' tournament - the Minute Maid Schools' Cup.

As Liverpool FC and AC Milan prepare themselves for the dramatic finale to professional football's most prestigious cup competition, the top school teams in the country will be running out at The Ricoh Arena - home to Coventry City FC - to contest the showcase ending to the English Schools' football season.

The National Finals of the Minute Maid Schools' Cup, staged at The Ricoh Arena, mark the climax of the national under-13 cup competition that has involved more than 40,000 players from over 2,600 school teams.

Having won through highly competitive County and Regional Competitions, the best four teams in England then won National Semi-Finals against rival Regional Champion schools to qualify for the National Finals, where they line up as follows:

Girls' Final:
South Eastern Schools' Champions vs. Northern Schools' Champions
Tideway School (Newhaven, East Sussex) vs. Ormskirk School (Lancashire)
(Kick-off: 11.15am)

Boys' Final:
South Eastern Schools' Champions vs. Northern Schools' Champions
Glyn Technology School (Ewell, Surrey) vs. Walbottle Campus (Newcastle, Northumberland)
(Kick-off: 2.15pm)

[NB. All teams' runs to the finals are detailed in 'Note to Sports Editor' at end of release]

As the four schools continue their build up to the National Finals, Coventry City manager Iain Dowie - a former Southampton and West Ham United striker and Northern Ireland international - has spoken out about the benefits of grass roots football:
"I am delighted that the Ricoh Arena is being used as the flagship stadium for grass-roots football. I strongly believe in youth development and educating the players with the right methods from an early age. There is no better reward for this than the final being played in a professional environment like the Ricoh Arena."

And he further offered some advice and encouragement to the schools involved in the Minute Maid Schools' Cup National Finals:
"I'd like to congratulate all of the players on getting to the final - it is a fantastic achievement and I would encourage every player to applaud themselves for getting this far. I hope the game is a great spectacle, but most of all, that it whets the appetite of those involved to pursue a career in the professional game."

'Minute Maid' is a registered trade mark of The Coca-Cola Company.

Notes to Editors:

• Full details of the draw and the schools' cup runs in the Minute Maid Schools' Cup can be viewed on the English Schools' FA web site: www.esfa.co.uk then follow links for competitions
• The online home of the Minute Maid Schools' Cup can be found at: www.minutemaidschoolscup.com

Minute Maid Schools' Cup National Finalists - 'The Road to Ricoh'

Tideway School (Newhaven, East Sussex)
County Final - 16th January 2007
Eastbourne Technology College 0 - 8 The Tideway School
Regional Round One
The Tideway School 22 - 0 West London Academy (Middlesex)
Round Two
Eltham Hill Technology College (Inner London) 0 - 9 The Tideway School
Semi-Final - 26th March 2007
The Tideway School 6 - 1 The Matthew Arnold School (Surrey)
Regional Final - 25th April 2007
St Martin's School (Essex) 2 - 4 The Tideway School
National Semi Final - 9th May 2007 (Reading FC)
The Tideway School 3 - 1 Dorcan Technology School (Wiltshire)

Ormskirk School (Lancashire)
County Final - 20th January 2007
Clitheroe Royal Grammar School 1 - 5 Ormskirk School
Regional Round One - 23rd February 2007
Ormskirk School 8 - 0 St Julie's Catholic High School (Merseyside)
Round Two - 21st March 2007
Ormskirk School 7 - 0 Flixton Girls High School (Greater Manchester)
Semi-Final - 19th April 2007
Ormskirk School 3 - 0 Clitheroe Royal Grammar School (Lancashire)
Regional Final - 27th April 2007 (Darlington FC)
Penistone Grammar School (South Yorkshire) 0 - 6 Ormskirk School
National Semi Final - 9th May 2007 (Middlesbrough FC)
Ormskirk School 5 - 0 William Farr CofE Comprehensive School (Lincolnshire)

Glyn Technology School (Ewell, Surrey)
Regional Round One - 24th February 2007
Glyn Technology School 6 - 0 Southlands Secondary School (Kent)
Round Two - 24th March 2007
Glyn Technology School 1 - 0 St Mark's Catholic School (Middlesex)
Semi-Final - 21st April 2007
Glyn Technology School 2 - 1 London Nautical School (Inner London)
Regional Final - 25th April 2007 (Wycombe Wanderers FC)
The Nobel School (Hertfordshire) 1 - 4 Glyn Technology School
National Semi Final - 9th May 2007 (Reading FC)
Glyn Technology School 1 - 0 Emmanuel Middle School (Dorset) AET

Walbottle Campus (Newcastle, Northumberland)
County Final - 20th January 2007
Walbottle Campus 6 - 1 West Gate Community College
Round One - 14th February 2007
Walbottle Campus 4 - 0 Trinity School (Cumbria)
Round Two - 23rd March 2007
Hebburn Comprehensive School (Durham) 0 - 3 Walbottle Campus
Semi-Final - 27th March 2007
Walbottle Campus 1 - 0 Acklam Grange School (Cleveland)
Regional Final - 27th April 2007 (Darlington FC)
Walbottle Campus 5 - 1 Cardinal Heenan Sports College (Merseyside)
National Semi Final - 9th May 2007 (Middlesbrough FC)
Walbottle Campus 3 - 0 Kenilworth School and Sports College (Warwickshire)