ESFA National Finals

ESFA to host 2019/20 National Finals & live stream every match

The National Governing Body for Schools’ Football in England gives season 2019/20 National Finalists the opportunity to play the final match of the season from 12 October with all matches live streamed online

National finalists from across England will travel to Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Shropshire this October to play the final round of ESFA National Cup competitions, determining who will be crowned National Champions for the 2019/20 season.

Schools have been given the opportunity to travel to complete the final fixture in their respective competitions from the 2019/20 season.

Over 6,000 teams entered the 2019/20 National Cup competitions in September 2019 and since then, have travelled across the country and competed in the knockout stages of the competitions to cement their place in this October’s finals.

The ESFA is delighted to have found a venue to allow these finals to take place, bringing the 2019/20 season to a close. Due to Covid-19 related restrictions in place at Lilleshall, in a change to the usual crowd-filled stadium atmosphere, spectators are unfortunately not permitted to attend this season’s National Finals, However, the ESFA is delighted that this and all other matches will be streamed live online via the ESFA’s  YouTube channel, ESFA TV, with full commentary.

Coverage will also include a live “˜player of the match’ vote, which will be held via the ESFA’s Twitter channel (@schoolsfootball), where a shortlist of “˜players of the match’ will be announced approximately 10 minutes prior to the end of the match. Viewers will be able to vote in the online poll to determine which of our national finalists is awarded this prestigious honour.

The English Schools’ FA has been determined to give young players the opportunity to complete the 2019/20 football season, when deemed safe to do so, despite the ongoing global pandemic. Phil Harding, ESFA Chairman said

“When lockdown was imposed back in March, the ESFA was very clear that, when possible and if safe to do so, we would stage the National Finals and give everyone involved the unique and special experience of an opportunity to create those lifelong memories that epitomise representing your school, district or county. Unfortunately, we will be doing so without the atmosphere of a stadium and spectators, but the Lilleshall National Sports Centre is an iconic venue, steeped in history where many top events across a variety of sports have been held. We hope that many parents, other family members and supporters of the teams involved will be able to watch the games on our live streaming service.

Schools’ football is where education and sport flourish, where we develop knowledge alongside skills and values, and where young people can be competitive, considerate and truly enjoy their football. Our National Finals showcase these characteristics, but they are only possible with the hard work and dedication of a huge number of people who give freely of their time and expertise.”

Congratulations to all of the competing National Finalists for 2019/20, you can follow all the action and updates via the ESFA’s social media channels throughout the rest of October.

The ESFA has carried out extensive risk assessment work on the event, however continue to monitor the situation on the lead up to the first matches, in case of any significant changes that may impact on the event.


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