Young soccer stars to shine in anniversary tournament
Released: 10 January 2008
The football stars of tomorrow will be showing off their skills at a 20th anniversary tournament held in memory of a Wolverhampton Wanderers legend.
Sporty youngsters are being given the chance to shine in the Jimmy Mullen Five-a-Side Championships, which have been organised by Wolverhampton City Council and Wolverhampton Wanderers for the last two decades.
The championships kick-off in March, and with the chance to play in the finals at the Molineux up for grabs, are one of the highlights of the junior football calendar.
Qualifying rounds take place in the indoor arena at Aldersley Leisure Village on Saturday, March 8, with winners going through to the finals which will be staged at the Molineux Stadium, the home of Wolves, on Thursday, April 24.
Dave Hill, Wolverhampton City Council Sport Development Officer, said: “This year is the 20th anniversary of the Jimmy Mullen Five-a-Side Championships, which have proved a massive success over the years.
“The tournament is open to teams from across the region, and apart from sides from the Black Country we often get youngsters from Telford, Shrewsbury, Worcester and Birmingham taking part.”
Richard Skirrow, Wolverhampton Wanderers Club Secretary, said: “We are delighted to once again support this competition in memory of a Wolves great, Jimmy Mullen.
“We have a very close working relationship with Wolverhampton City Council and have worked together on a number of award-winning community projects.
“Up to 400 children will benefit from this competition alone. This will add to the 120,000 youngsters that Wolves in the Community reaches every year.”
Up to 80 teams are expected to take part in the league-style qualifying day, with five age groups for the boys - under 10s, 11s, 12s, 13s and 14s - and two for the girls, under 12s and 14s.
The top two teams from each category go through to the finals day at Wolves FC.
The event is held in memory of Wolves legend Jimmy Mullen, who made nearly 500 appearances for the club and represented England 12 times.
Playing alongside the likes of Billy Wright and Johnny Hancocks, the aptly-named ‘Gentleman Jim’ became unstoppable and the fast-raiding winger scored 118 goals in his 21-year career. He won three league championships and an FA Cup medal.
And during his time with the national side he made history when he became England’s first ever substitute in an international.
After his retirement, Jimmy went on to run a successful sports shop in Wolverhampton, which he ran until his death in 1987.
Dave added: “It is tremendous that we are able to keep the memory of a legend like Jimmy Mullen alive by encouraging the next generation of football stars to show everyone what they can do.”
The closing date for entries is Monday, February 18, and it costs £25 a team. Entry forms are available from Sport Development Officer Dave Hill on 01902 556221, by emailing dave.hill@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Issued by the press office.