An Everton treat for cool kids from Teenage Kickz

FORMER Derry City captain and current Finn Harps’ manager Peter Hutton has led a group of 36 young people on a visit to one of English football’s most historic grounds, Everton’s Goodison Park.

Those involved in the Teenage Kickz project, which Peter heads, were treated to a trip to Goodison where the Everton in the Community charity arranged for them to carry large banners bearing the club’s name around the pitch, before forming a guard of honour as the teams of Everton and Fulham emerged from the players’ tunnel to the strains of the Z Cars theme tune.

Ten of the young people were allowed to take part in drills on the pitch at half-time, and another two were selected as ball boys, Rhys Adair from Lincoln Courts and Connor McCourt from the Bogside.

All of the party, which included the indvidual group leaders, were provided with free tickets for the match.

The following day, while the girls in the party went shopping, the boys took part in a coaching session organised by Everton in the Community.

Such was the success of the visit that the Everton representatives who organised the weekend’s activities have already told Peter Hutton that they want the link-up to continue.

This summer, coaches will visit Derry and there are hopes that a group from deprived areas of Liverpool will make the trip here.

Mr Hutton said he hopes this will now become a legacy project that will continue after the City of Culture year has finished.

Some of the young people involved had never enjoyed a break before, and some had never flown. They came from Lincoln Courts, Brandywell, Bogside, Top of the Hill, as well as Glengad in Inishowen and Castlefin in East Donegal.

On the Saturday the coach brought the party to Goodison Park early and they were met by Everton staff who told them where to stand to get autographs as the players arrived.

All of the young people, who supported various Premiership teams, instantly recognized the Everton stars as they drove into the car park area reserved for them. Among those players were homegrown talents Darron Gibson, who unfortunately failed a late fitness test, Shane Duffy and Donegal native Seamus Coleman, who appeared to be leaving the area when a security guard pointed out the group from Donegal. The Killybegs man quickly turned and crossed the car park to answer the requests for his autograph.

Shane Duffy was visibly startled as he emerged from his car to a chorus of accents from home calling him over to sign the white Teenage Kickz T-shirts which had been specially designed for the occasion.

“Whoa, what’s going on here?” he asked, widening his eyes and throwing his head back in mock shock. “Why are there so many people from Derry here?”

As one player after another arrived in different parts of the car park, there was a mad scramble to head them off and get their signatures.

“Even the older boys, who are ‘too cool for school’ as it were, were running about in the car parks trying to get autographs,” laughed Peter Hutton later.