FA Mars 'Just Play' Wembley Event - Part 2
The second part of our behind-the-scenes at the FA Mars 'Just Play' Wembley event, takes in all the action from why everyone was really there, to play football on the World famous Wembley turf, plus meeting the special guests...
Think of any footballing great from past or present, and they've pretty much all played at Wembley. So for the lucky competition winners of the Mars 'Just Play' campaign, they were about to add their names to a list that includes the likes of Maradona, Eusebio, Rooney and Messi!
Of course, this sent our SoccerBible boot spotters into overdrive with all the football boots on show, but our attention was caught by both Scott Parker and Michael Dawson. We've long wanted to get a close-up look at the Parker's blacked out boots, and when asked he was more than happy to show them off to our photographer.
But perhaps even more exciting were Michael Dawson's, a brand new pair of Under Armour football boots. They didn't look to be a prototype, and looked more like a finished article. We couldn't resist querying the footwear with Michael, and although he wasn't giving anything away, he did say the event provided an opportune time to break his new boots in.
Getting back to the events on pitch, and all the players were divided into four groups to undertake four separate football drills led by a different England star. To make the occasion even more special, both John Barnes and Graeme Le Saux were to join in playing.
The various drills involved our SoccerBible reporter pairing up with John Barnes, in an attempt to beat him in a one-on-one situation. Although you can imagine how that one ended, when up against a man who won 79 England caps! That said, we did have one moment of glory when we nutmegged the England, Watford and Liverpool legend.
For the competition winners, this was their moment to shine in front of an audience of Premier League stars. So as you can imagine they weren't holding back when it came to commitment, but the great thing about this event was that it was getting everyone playing no matter what their standard.
With the drills acting as a warm-up, it was now time for a full scale match on Wembley, with team captains Barnes and Le Saux selecting players. Which also gave Crouch, Walcott, Parker and Dawson the chance to fulfil some of their media commitments, and of course the SoccerBible was on hand for some exclusive interviews.
Catching up with a towering Peter Crouch, we were able to quiz the striker not just on his England experiences, but also about his preferences when it comes to football boots and also his move to Stoke City, so stay tuned for that one.
SoccerBible also had the opportunity to catch up with Theo Walcott, and despite a mid-interview interruption from John Barnes who had been playing the joker all day! It was great to hear Theo's opinion on his footwear, along with his expectations for this season and claiming a central strikers role within the Arsenal team.
But overall, it was a truly fantastic day for the Mars competition winners thanks to FA Mars 'Just Play', a great initiative to get players of all ages and abilities onto football pitches up and down the country. Stay tuned to SoccerBible for our exclusive interviews with Peter Crouch and Theo Walcott, and if you want to find out more search online for Just Play.
