Thousands of youngsters get a first taste of international football at Molineux
Thousands of young football fans got their first opportunity to watch the Three Lions in Wolverhampton as England faced off against Italy at Molineux this weekend.
It was the first time Wolves' home stadium had hosted the England men’s team in more than 65 years, with Gareth Southgate’s side taking on Italy in a UEFA Nations League fixture.
England were ordered to play the match behind closed doors as a result of violent scenes which marred last summer’s European Championship final at Wembley.
However, between 2,000 and 3,000 youngsters were allowed to attend due to UEFA rules which allowed the FA to give out tickets to children aged 14 and under, and for many it was their first chance to see the Three Lions live.
Those in attendance saw starts for former Aston Villa duo Jack Grealish and Tammy Abraham, while Wolves captain Conor Coady was on the bench.
Wolves fan and Telford United Academy assistant coach James Harrison was in attendance with his under-9s team, who were in great spirits ahead of kick-off.
He said: "Telford United organised for us to have tickets and put it out to our managers to see who would like to attend of our younger academy groups – and we put our team forward.
"I do wish they would take the games all over the country personally.
"As much as Wembley is a fantastic stadium and that is our home venue, it would be nice to travel the county so everyone can experience it, rather than travelling for hours.
"It is my second time watching England but our team are eight years old, so for a lot of them it is their first live game."
Meanwhile a group of under-11 footballers from Rodborough Football Club made the journey down from Stroud, Gloucestershire.
Solomon Jones was part of the group and really wanted to get Mason Mount's shirt after the game for his friend Harvey.
The game itself played out to an eventual 0-0 draw, reminiscent of the games played in empty stadiums throughout the pandemic - though the game was not without chances, with England hitting the bar early on through Mason Mount, and Italy ever the threat on the break.
On Tuesday, England will again step out at Molineux, this time to face Hungary.
This game however will be played in front of a sell-out crowd, with more than 30,000 fans set to descend upon Wolverhampton.
