Rochdale not the only Wembley victors as Hartlepool and Hemel also celebrate

Rochdale were not the only side celebrating at win at Wembley Stadium on Sunday!

Before the Enterprise National League Promotion Final, the National League Trust hosted its U11s Cup finals - the culmination of an incredible competition that saw 49 National League clubs take part.

The U11s cup also engaged more than 900 school teams and over 7,000 children nationwide. With 45 Girls teams and 48 Mixed or Boys teams competing.

Each club worked closely with local schools to host their own qualifying tournaments, creating inclusive, high-quality experiences for young players. 

The winning schools from these events progressed to one of six regional tournaments, where the level of competition stepped up and teams had the opportunity to represent their area on a larger stage.

Hartlepool United - represented by Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School - triumphed in the Girls final, beating Tonbridge Angels - represented by Discovery School Primary - 2-1 in a tightly-fought contest.

In the Mixed Final, Hemel Hempstead Town - represented by South Hill Primary - beat Darlington - represented by St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School - 2-0 in a thrilling final.

Schools from across the country competed in a six-a-side tournament for the chance to play in the Final at Wembley Stadium.

After winning their respective finals on the Wembley turf, both winning sides then climbed the famous steps to the Royal Box to collect their trophies. 

Afterwards they re-joined their families and friends to watch the Promotion Final between Rochdale and Boreham Wood, which Rochdale won after a penalty shoot-out.

Thanks to UCFB whose students helped out on the day and to Graham Scambler and Noah Miller for capturing images of the players in action.

Congratulations to all who took part!