Budding Burnley footballers feature as part of BBC’s World Cup coverage

Football may not be coming home, but a group of young Burnley lions have realised a football dream of their own after showing off their skills in front of the TV cameras.
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Pupils from Barden and St John’s Cliviger primary schools, along with youngsters from Daneshouse Football Club, took part in an inter-faith match that is set to be broadcast this Friday on BBC’s Morning Live programme.

The first meeting actually took place last month, but BBC producers were so interested in the game, they asked organisers Building Bridges in Burnley to stage a replay in front of the TV cameras.

Pupils from Barden and St John’s Cliviger primary schools, along with youngsters from Daneshouse Football Club,  who took part in the inter-faith match that was filmed by the BBCPupils from Barden and St John’s Cliviger primary schools, along with youngsters from Daneshouse Football Club,  who took part in the inter-faith match that was filmed by the BBC
Pupils from Barden and St John’s Cliviger primary schools, along with youngsters from Daneshouse Football Club, who took part in the inter-faith match that was filmed by the BBC
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Both games took place at the Leisure Box in Brierfield and were organised with the support of Burnley FC in the Community.

Burnley Council leader and chairman of Building Bridges in Burnley, Coun. Afrasiab Anwar, said: “It’s fantastic that the BBC picked up on our inter-faith football match and wanted us to re-create it so they could film it and play the footage as part of its World Cup coverage.

“Of course, we were more than happy to help the BBC out and so were the children. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for them to play in front of TV cameras with the results being watched by an audience of people all over the world. It made them feel like their footballing heroes.”

Event organiser Lewis Hickie, from Premier League Kicks, said: "The aim of this is to bring young people together using the power of football. It allows kids from all different ethnicities and backgrounds to come together and allows them to make friends, develop skills and enjoy themselves."

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Clare Holgate, head teacher at Barden Primary School, said: "All of the children were really excited about taking part. I think they've realised that everyone has more in common than they imagine and they've managed to make friends both on and off the pitch which is lovely to see."

The Mayor of Burnley, Coun. Cosima Towneley, added: "This is such a wonderful project which is doing some wonderful things to bring young people together. It's brilliant to see the culture and heritage of communities recognised but this shouldn't just happen today; we should be seeing this more often – on a daily basis.”