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STOKE City are ploughing £1million into a scheme which will give 8,000 youngsters free match tickets and replica shirts.
To mark a decade in the Premier League, one of the country’s most communityconscious clubs relaunched its City 7s initiative which also provides professional coaching for school football teams.
Jack Butland, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Mark Hughes were at the Willows Primary School in Stoke-on-Trent to hand out the jerseys and a couple of tickets for a league home game to every seven-year-old.
The club is also planning to reintroduce a school football competition for the region.
Hughes says everyone at Stoke is mindful of their social responsibilities, explaining: “This club seems closer to its local community than many others that I’ve been to. That’s a credit to the club itself, that awareness they have of their standing within that community.” MARK HUGHES says he has no regrets about his run-ins with the likes of Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.
In fact, he enjoys the duelling with his opposite numbers.
“Yes, I do actually. I don’t mind it at all,” he said. “It’s part of what is expected from the modern-day manager.
“At the end of the day, we are part of the show, really. You see all the JACK BUTLAND is THE natural successor to Joe Hart, according to Mark Hughes. “In his manner, in the way he presents himself, he looks like an England international goalkeeper … if there’s a model of that,” explained Hughes. There are several keepers queuing up to challenge Hart but his club manager lead-in to the games and it’s always Antonio Conte jumping up and down on the sideline or it’s Jurgen Klopp doing his facial expressions so we are part of the show.
“I’m sure if people watch me for 90 minutes, they would be quite shocked at how animated you can get.
“When I come away from the ground, I’m quite quiet but I like match day – that’s when I come alive.” believes 24-year-old Butland (above) stands out, saying: “He has an air about him that suggests that’s where he expects to be.
“Even though he has not got the position as yet, that’s his ambition and that is his intention.
“All the players in front of him are older but he can demand from these players and it takes a special person to be able to do that.
“On top of that, he’s an exceptional goalkeeper in his own right.” ALEX CROOK EDDIE HOWE has turned to boxing champion George Groves to help Bournemouth KO their poor start to the season. The Cherries stayed in the same hotel as Groves before last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Tottenham – on the eve of the Londoner’s knockout win over Jamie Cox. Howe (below) said: “I met George Groves and was able to pick his brains about his preparations on the day of a fight.” Following the meeting, Howe arranged a training session with local fighter and Cherries fan Chris Billam-Smith. Howe added: “I’m just trying to make a difference for us. You can pick things up from every sport.”