Eat my goal! Chesterfield junior side sport new McDonald's kits

The Chesterfield restaurant on Low Pavement has donated kit to the team as part of the McDonald’s FA Charter Standard Kit Scheme, which is now in its third year.

The team are delighted to be benefitting from the new community programme, which, run in partnership with The FA and their official kit supplier Nike, enables all 4,600 FA Charter Standard clubs with a junior team in England the chance to order a new strip every year for the next three seasons.

The scheme has the potential to provide 250,000 kits nationwide - 150,000 of which are in England, and aims to help raise the standards of grassroots football for young aspiring footballers.

To mark the occasion, the club held an event at their grounds, where local McDonald’s Franchisee and community football supporter, Water Wright personally delivered the kit to the team during a training session.

Low Pavement McDonald’s owner Walter Wright has provided the club with kit and equipment for three years.

He said: “Grassroots clubs such as Chesterfield Blues invest an incredible amount of time providing their local communities with footballing opportunities.

“They provide young people with the chance to get involved and feel part of a team. It’s important that businesses like McDonald’s support clubs such as Chesterfield Blues, as it means they can use the money saved by the kit and equipment to invest in training more coaches, improving facilities and reducing the costs passed onto players and their parents.”

Chesterfield Junior Blues Football Club was formed in 2005 and have grown to 12 teams in three different leagues.

They regularly have players going to Chesterfield FC Development and Academy and academies with other professional clubs. Their aim is to provide a first class, safe, and enjoyable environment for our players.

Gavin Long, Chesterfield Blues JFC coach, said: “We’re hugely grateful to McDonald’s for donating a new kit for our under nine’s team. An average team strip costs around £500 per season, so this really is a huge saving for us and means we can spend the money on other areas of the club that need it.

“The kids absolutely love wearing their new strip. Having the kit has created fantastic unity and team spirit and has given the kids extra motivation to train and have a great season.”

The FA’s Director of the National Game and Women’s Football Kelly Simmons said: “McDonald’s has been a long-term advocate of the grassroots game in England. The kit giveaway programme is yet another example of the wonderful work they are doing to support FA Charter Standard clubs.

“The opportunity to turn out in an impressive new Nike kit each season offers yet another incentive for children of all ages to participate in the National Game.”

To find out more about how McDonald’s and The FA support community football, please visit www.mcdonalds.co.uk/BetterPlay.