England Women star's at the Greenhous Meadow to meet the fans
England internationals Karen Carney and Kerys Harrop were welcomed to Shrewsbury today ahead of their Women’s World Cup 2015 qualifier against Ukraine at the Greenhous Meadow on Thursday, May 8 (kick-off 7.30pm, Live on BBC2).
The England stars paid a visit to the Meadow where they were greeted by Shrewsbury Town chairman Roland Wycherley, manager Michael Jackson, Leader of Shropshire Council, Councillor Keith Barrow, and FA Delegate Dave Simpson from The Shropshire FA.
They went on to meet local youngsters who were taking part in an Easter holiday football course, organised by Shrewsbury Town Community Sports Trust.
The excited children took part in an exclusive coaching session with the England players and received top tips on developing their skills and improving their play.
They also posed for pictures with the players, collected autographs and had the chance to ask their questions about what it is like to play for England.
Karen Carney said: “It has been a great to come here today and receive such a fantastic welcome from the club, the community and local youngsters.
“The kids have all been really engaged in the skills session and it’s fantastic to be able to interact with children that love the game and want to learn as much as they can about it.
“We are really looking forward to playing the game in Shrewsbury. We have had an amazing track record on our World Cup campaign so far and we are hoping to continue the momentum and secure another three points.
"We are confident we will continue to deliver some exciting football and hope that as many football fans as possible will come down and cheer us on.”
Shrewsbury last hosted England Women in 2010 when they took on Switzerland as part of a successful 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
England are five matches in to their qualifying campaign for the 2015 World Cup in Canada and sit top of Group 6 with a 100 per cent record.
Chairman Roland Wycherley said: “We are delighted to be able to welcome the England players here to the club today and look forward to hosting this important game against Ukraine in a couple of weeks time. It is an exciting time for women’s football and we feel honored to once again be part of it.”
The leader of Shropshire Council, Councillor Keith Barrow, added: “The England players' visit today has highlighted the fantastic opportunity for the county of Shropshire.
"We are incredibly excited to be able to host a Women’s World Cup qualifier and offer our community the chance to see world class football on their doorstep.”
Along with the feast of international women’s football, from 5.30pm on match-day fans are invited to take part in the FREE FA Junior Fanzone, brought by Continental Tyres.
Games include batak boards, a speed cage, a target shoot inflatable plus a trailer that houses the FA WSL trophy, Cyprus Cup and FA WSL Continental Cup, and digital stations.
The FA WSL mascot Berry the Bear will also be in attendance and staff from Shropshire FA will be on hand to provide information on local football opportunities. There will be hair braiding and face painting, all of which will take place outside the Greenhous Meadow.
Tickets are on sale now for the match from the Greenhous Meadow box office. They can also be bought over the phone on (01743) 273943 and online at http://www.shrewsburyfc.talent-sport.co.uk/
Tickets are priced £5 for adults and £2.50 for children, students and concessions. A family ticket is available at £10 (two adults, two children) and group discounts also apply.