Garraghan’s grand finale?
HUME SQUAD IN GLORY BID FOR RETIRING COACH PADDY
A GATESHEAD school football team is chasing national glory next week - in the hope of giving their coach the perfect swansong, writes TONY HODGSON.
Cardinal Hume’s year eight squad has reached the final of the prestigious Playstation National Schools Cup.
The under-13 side takes on Brighton’s Cardinal Newman Catholic School at Reading FC’s Madejski Stadium on Tuesday.
The match will be the last with the Tynesiders’ coach Paddy Garraghan in charge - and the lads are determined to make sure he goes out in style.
The boys also want to make up for the school’s under-11 team losing on penalties to Windsor Boys School in last year’s Playstation Cup.
On their way to the final Cardinal Hume overcame St Cuthbert’s High (3-0), Durham Johnston (9-0), Middlesbrough’s Macmillan Academy (9-0), Ponteland Community College (5-0), Crawshaw Academy (2-0), Broadgreen International Academy (3-1) and Thomas Telford (3-2).
Garraghan said: “This competition is very prestigious - 690 teams from many of the best junior clubs in Britain started out in it so for us to make the final is a tremendous achievement.
“We reached the last 32 last year but we know Cardinal Newman will not give us an easy ride.
“However, we have a great set of lads.
“They are quietly confident of doing well and are looking forward to the big day.”
Cardinal Hume go into the match in good form, having already won three pieces of silverware - the Durham County Cup, the Gateshead Schools League and the League Cup - this campaign. The Cardinal Hume squad consists of Harry Lowery, James Oliver, Joseph Cleghorn, Thomas Cole, Ben Price, Gabriel Nuga Sama, Tom Armstrong, Luke Burns, Alfie Scandle, Louie Salkeld, Jack Thompson, Joel Vilhenna, Theo Barron, Joseph Armstrong and Jamie Blackbird.
Also in action at Reading will be Kepier Academy from Houghton-leSpring as they bid to win the English Schools’ FA PlayStation Under-14 Schools’ Cup.
They, like Cardinal Hune, will be be part of the three-day PlayStation Schools’ Cup Festival, which runs from Monday until Wednesday.
They will face Whitgift School from Croydon.
All the players involved in the festival will be given the full match-day experience.
They will warm up at Reading FC’s £1million indoor training facility before changing in the main stadium dressing room and making their way on to the Madejski Stadium pitch.
The festival has become a popular day out for both supporters and players.
More than 6,000 spectators attended last year’s finals.
REPORTS on both Cardinal Hume’s and Kepier’s matches will be in Grassroots Sport.