Partner schools brought their under-11 mixed teams to the tournament with the chance to represent Chelsea at the National Premier League Primary Stars Tournament held at Watford’s Vicarage Road in May.

Schools from several different boroughs took part in the tournament, and Honeywell Junior School from Wandsworth ran out as the winners after beating Nottinghill Preparatory School 1-0 after extra-time in the final.

Throughout the day, players from all participating schools were tasked with awarding players from other schools certificates and stickers they felt represented the best values within their teams. The Premier League values they could select were: being connected, being fair, being ambitious and being inspiring.

As part of the tournament, all players were given a brand-new pair of Chelsea gloves to help brave the elements on a cold but sunny day in west London.

The event also showcased the example of our programmes intertwining as 12 young leaders from our Premier League Inspires programme supported the tournament by officiating games and keeping track of scores across the different groups.

We are looking forward to hosting the Premier League Girls tournament at Southfields Academy on 9 March, where we hope to build on the success of our most recent tournament.

Victor Odeyemi, Chelsea Foundation’s schools education coordinator, said: ‘The tournament was a huge success. It was great to see all the schools competing and having fun, displaying all of the Premier League values.

‘There were brilliant goals scored, great skills, lots of teamwork and an abundance of smiles. All the teams worked hard regardless of how the games were going and the staff members were excellent in providing supporting and creating a positive environment.'

Emilie Haston, headteacher at a participating school, said: ‘The children came back absolutely buzzing. They loved their kids and just loved being part of the whole event, even if they didn’t win!’

Additionally, our education department ran a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) session for all of the teachers in attendance, ensuring the day was beneficial to all attendees.

These tournaments are able to be staged thanks to the support of the Premier League Charitable Fund for the delivery of the Premier League Primary Stars programme.

For more information on our education provisions, email [email protected]