Sports minister hails Euro 2005 legacy bid (From Warrington Guardian)

Sports minister hails Euro 2005 legacy bid

WARRINGTON schools, youth clubs and community groups are to be encouraged to join in Euro 2005.

Four matches in June's UEFA Women's Championship are to take place at Warrington Wolves' Halliwell Jones Stadium and there is a festival of fun being lined up to celebrate the staging of the event in this country.

Plans are also in place for Euro 2005 to leave a legacy of more girls and women taking up playing football.

This is something that the Football Association, Sport England and the Government fully support and discussed at Euro 2005's draw ceremony, which took place at the City of Manchester Stadium on Wednesday.

Geoff Thompson, chairman of the FA, said: "The growth of girls' and women's football in this country since 1993 has been phenomenal and it has become the largest female participating sport.

"The FA will be working with Sport England to ensure a lasting legacy is born out of the tournament, encouraging more and more girls and women to take up playing the national game.

"There will be a series of festivals and road shows taking place across the country over the next six months to ensure opportunities are provided for everyone to get involved.

"We hope that as many as possible new football supporters will come to the north west to get behind the England team and the tournament as a whole."

Sports minister Richard Caborn MP added: "I think what is going to be very important for this championship is its legacy.

"I know that around this region, and beyond, we are going to be contacting all the schools, youth clubs and the community groups to make sure that they are participating, both in terms of watching the matches but also in the wider development of sport, particularly football.

"So it has given us a real opportunity around this very prestigious event to be able to make sure that sport goes right out into the communities."

The full schedule of matches and reactions to the games to take place in Warrington can be read in Thursday's Warrington Guardian.

Euro 2005 pages can also be viewed on-line at www.warringtonguardian.co.uk.