Witham Town Football Club hope to offer ladies teams from Germany and Poland a slice of English culture when they visit for a special three-way tournament at Witham Rugby Club in Spa Road on the weekend of 29th and 30th May providing a small amount of additional money can be raised to cover the event’s costs.
A team from Waldbröl, near Cologne in the west of Germany, and southerly-based Polish side Swiebodzice will pay a visit to mid-Essex as part of a long-standing relationship between the three towns which has seen Witham Town Ladies sample the lifestyles of their European counterparts at competitions in 2006 and 2008 respectively.
Now Assistant Coach Kevin Carroll, part of an organising party involving the club and the Witham Twinning Association, hopes to be able to return the favour this spring at their own facilities, providing sufficient funds can be raised. “After we visited Germany and Poland and had a great time we felt it was our turn,” he revealed. “They did us a good job and with our example of good team work we’re aiming to go one better!”
In 2005, Waldbröl Twinning Association invited their Witham equivalents to find a ladies football team for their 2006 tournament as well as a side from Swiebodzice, with Waldbröl Town Council helping to cover the costs. The event was such a success that Swiebodzice followed suit in 2008 and, on their return, Witham then offered to run a similar event from their base in 2010. They called upon their Twinning Association to help organise a weekend including a social evening and a trip to London.
The project has benefited from a substantial four-figure grant from their local council as well as around £400 from the club themselves. Now the small sum of a few hundred pounds is all that is left to complete the preparations and Kevin is inviting local businesses to consider coming forward to accept this rare opportunity to promote themselves on a European stage as well as supporting a worthy local cause.
Essex County Women’s League Division One side Town are approaching their third anniversary as an FA Charter Standard Club having been formed in 2001 and Carroll believes this event could be another landmark in their history once all the arrangements are in place. “Securing the accommodation for the visiting teams was the main stumbling block but now we can concentrate on some of the other details. We’re meeting every three weeks up to the tournament and we have fundraising events such as a Race Night to help us towards our target, but we could still do with a helping hand!”
Expressions of interest in terms of sponsorship will be gratefully received by Kevin Carroll on (07743) 827 505 or via E-Mail at [email protected] Admission to the tournament will be free of charge although spectators can make a small donation of £1 for what is expected to be an excellent matchday programme. Opportunities to advertise in the publication will also be available via Kevin.
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