England Squad & Royal Visit

Last week saw a busy week for West Riding County FA as we welcomed the Duke of Cambridge and the England Squad to Fleet Lane.

On Wednesday we hosted the England vs Costa Rica pre-match press conference here at our HQ where Gareth Southgate spoke to the media about the upcoming World Cup warm up game against Costa Rica at Elland Road. Southgate, who currently lives in Yorkshire said:

"We don't just represent the south of England – we represent everybody. I've lived in Yorkshire for 15 years, and I love the mind-set and mentality."

The following day the England Squad used the Fleet Lane pitch for final preparations ahead of the game against Costa Rica in the evening. Later on in the day saw The Duke of Cambridge visiting our HQ to meet the England Squad before they head out to Russia.

Hannah Simpson, West Riding Chief Executive said:

“It was fantastic to welcome the England Squad and Prince William to Fleet Lane, it was a very proud moment for me. It's great to see England playing in West Yorkshire and i'm sure seeing England play locally will inspire local junior footballers in the area."

England came out victorious as they beat Costa Rica 2-0 in an impressive performance with goals from Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck. Bradford born and former Leeds United player Fabian Delph put in a fine performance in midfield on which for him was familiar soil. The game was the first in West Yorkshire for over 15 years and was fantastic to have the three lions in the County.