FA Mars 'Just Play' Wembley Event - Part 1
This week SoccerBible received a special invite to Wembley courtesy of the FA and Mars, to join lucky competition winners of their 'Just Play' campaign who'd won the prize of a lifetime to not only play on the hallowed turf, but to also meet their England heroes...
The day included the five star England treatment and saw current and former England internationals pulling on their boots for a kickabout!
The FA and Mars 'Just Play' initiative is about playing football. As simple as that. To make playing footy as easy as possible, so they've created a new, fun and informal way to play the game. 'Just Play' kickabouts are great for when you want to play without committing to a weekly game, a complicated league or fancy team strips.
So what did our lucky competition winners have planned for the day? Well, after staying at England-grade accommodation in the centre of London the guests were greeted by the official England team bus, and just before pulling off, there was time for one additional passenger...England legend John Barnes!
Taking ownership of the microphone for the journey, Barnes recalled some great stories of his playing and England career, with both Paul Gascoigne and Bobby Robson taking lead roles. It turns out that all of Gazza's wacky antics are the tip of the iceberg! Whilst Bobby Robson truly was a respected gentleman of football, and yes there was an England rap thrown into the mix! All adding to the experience of being on the England team bus.
Upon arriving at the players entrance, the newest additions to the England squad embarked upon a VIP tour of one of the most iconic stadiums in World football. Mars and the FA were certainly out for impressing their guests, as they invited the competition winners up to the Royal box where they were greeted by the FA Cup, one of the most iconic trophies in football history and an inspiration to any aspiring footballer.
Continuing the behind-the-scenes access, the party then moved into the press room, the scene of many a grilling for England managers, and got the chance to take the seat previously occupied by Fabio Capello after the Wales game.
Continuing the tour of the stadium, there are plenty of reminders about the heritage of Wembley, of course the place where England lifted the World Cup in 1966. All this history and more is acknowledged at an exhibition, which happened to catch our SoccerBible boot spotters eye as we found these two beauties. Old school football boots which have left a lasting impression on the game and football history, stretching back as far as 1958!
However, with the tour complete it was time to turn our attention to playing at Wembley, and when the players entered the England dressing room to be greeted by personalised kits all neatly arranged, it seemed the magnitude of the day became real. With the media circling, these lucky footballers who might have previously only played as amateurs, were being treated as international stars.
Walking out of the tunnel onto the pitch is an experience previously enjoyed by a select number of people, and there was a real buzz in the air as the lucky competition winners got to glance up at the stadium as the pitch came into view.
But these competition winners weren't alone in their experience, as once again John Barnes was on the microphone but this time to introduce some special guests. The Mars experience had only just began, as Barnes introduced Peter Crouch, Theo Walcott, Michael Dawson and Scott Parker.
Of course, get four England players then throw John Barnes and Graeme Le Saux into the mix, and you have plenty of banter along with plenty of footballing talent. So the players and competition winners prepared for kick-off.
It was time for everyone, of all footballing abilities, to enjoy the beautiful game. And for the lucky competition winners, their dreams were about to become reality as they stepped onto the pitch shoulder to shoulder with some of football's biggest names.
Stay tuned, as we will shortly be bringing you part two of the FA Mars 'Just Play' Wembley event, including exclusive interviews with both Peter Crouch and Theo Walcott...
