Champions announced at the finale of the Pokémon Primary Schools' Cup

London, United Kingdom – 8^th June 2023 – The Pokémon Primary Schools’ Cup 2022/2023 inaugural tournament culminated on the 7^th June at Leicester City FC’s King Power Stadium, which saw teams from across the country compete to win in the U11 Schools’ Cup, U11 Girls’ Cup and U11 Small Schools’ Cup competitions.
 
The tournament gave over 50,000 players across the country the opportunity to develop their football skills, have fun with their friends and compete for a place in the national finals.
 

• U11 Schools’ Cup Winner: Harpur Hil Primary School (Derbyshire CSFA)
• U11 Schools’ Cup Runners Up: Victoria Colle Prep (Jersey SFA)
• U11 Girls’ Cup Winner: St Walburga’s Catholic Primary School (Dorset CSFA)
• U11 Girls’ Cup Runners Up: Tollerton Primary School (Nottinghamshire CSFA)
• U11 Small Schools’ Cup Winner: Alma Primary School (Middlesex CSFA)
• U11 Small Schools’ Cup Runners Up: Lindow Community School (Cheshire CSFA)

 
The Pokémon Company International is the official multi-year partner for the Schools’ Cup in collaboration with the English Schools’ FA (ESFA).
 
"This has been a memorable first tournament with the ESFA. It was great to see how the players worked together with their teammates, which is a core value at Pokémon, putting all of their energy into trying their best to progress through the competition and be crowned the national winners. Everyone who took part should be incredibly proud of themselves," said Peter Murphy, Senior Director of Marketing at the Pokémon Company International. "Thank you to all the children, parents, schools, teachers, and coaches who made this competition such a success. We look forward to continuing to work alongside the ESFA and giving more children the opportunity to take part in the competition for the 23/24 season.”
 
ESFA Chair, Stuart Botham said “I am delighted that the first season of the Pokémon Primary Schools’ Cup has been such a success and that the ESFA is able to offer such a fantastic range of U11 competitions, thanks to the support of The Pokémon Company International. This partnership is providing the ESFA with the opportunity to grow, improve and enhance each of these three National Cup competitions, meaning that the tens of thousands of children that participate each year will have the best, possible experience at every stage of the tournament. This year’s National Finals at Leicester City FC were a fantastic showcase for the talent, skill and dedication of primary schools from across the country and, on behalf of the ESFA, I would like to thank each and every team for their participation and sportsmanship this season.”
 
The Pokémon Company International is on a mission to delight fans through excellent products and meaningful experiences, with the hope to help make the world a better place for everyone by creating opportunities to bond and grow through shared journeys and friendly competition.
 
The partnership includes the U11 Schools’ Cup, U11 Girls’ Cup and U11 Small Schools’ Cup categories which provide a pathway for teams to progress through three rounds of competition. Beginning in local, District rounds, successful teams then go on to compete in County rounds, then one of four Regional Finals, which take place in the North, Midlands, South East and South West of England. The top 6 teams from each Regional Final had the opportunity to travel to the National Finals, where the National Champion of each competition category was crowned.
 
About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, please visit www.pokemon.co.uk.
 
About the English Schools’ FA
Since 1904 English Schools’ Football Association has been the governing body for Schools’ Football across England and has run International squads since 1907. The ESFA is proud of its remit as an educational organisation, to be able to reward individuals, particularly at U18 level, who choose to remain in mainstream education as opposed to opting to join the academy system. There are deeply rooted values in education for ESFA and this is a way to celebrate players who have chosen to build a secure foundation for themselves with qualifications, wherever their football careers may take them. 
 
Working with sponsors such as Pokémon, PlayStation and Utilita, the ESFA is able to provide many different opportunities for children at all ages to participate in football in England, running all national football competitions for schools and districts across the country. National Cup competitions culminate in the staging of National Finals held at various prestigious football stadiums and training grounds from March to June. Previous venues have included The Etihad complex, Goodison Park, West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City FC. For more information about the ESFA you can visit our website or follow @schoolsfoootball on Twitter and Instagram