Kids get open top bus parade to mark “amazing” achievement

Tuesday 21 June 2016

Open top bus parades are usually reserved for Premier League and FA Cup winners, but tomorrow it will be the turn of Jersey’s own stars - the kids of St Clement’s Primary School.

And rightly so, as the Baby Beckhams and kiddie Kanes became national champions in May, a truly remarkable achievement bearing in mind St Clement’s were one of the smallest schools competing.

The kids are getting the star treatment tomorrow as Danone Nations Cup winners, with an open top bus parade throughout the streets of the Island. 

St Clement’s kids can now proudly boast they are the best in the country, after becoming the first team ever from Jersey to win the prestigious Under 11's national competition.

The group of boys from Jersey brought the cup to the Island, organised by the English Schools' Football Association, after winning the final in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out at Premier League winners Leicester City's King Power Stadium.

After Samuel McLoughlin saved a penalty, it was up to Joel McKinlay to slot home the winner and bring the trophy to Jersey.

Their coach was Deputy Headteacher, Richard Heaven, who said: “It was an amazing achievement bearing in mind we played a school from near Stoke which had over 520 pupils. From year three to year six we have a combined 82 pupils. That just underlines their achievement - truly incredible. 

“The open top bus parade is well deserved and we were a little worried that Danone, the sponsors, would struggle to hire one on the Island. Thankfully they stayed true to their word and a bus was found which is great news for the children. 

"It was a fantastic atmosphere at the KP stadium and incredible for the boys to play there so soon after Leicester had lifted the Premier League trophy on the same ground.

“We are very lucky to have some very talented footballers and for a school of our size I think it is absolutely amazing that we are now national champions. It is a fairy tale come true.”

The bus will arrive at the school tomorrow around 9.30am and will leave Le Rocquier School at 10am, before going through St Helier and back to the school.