PAUL PITCHING IN

England C (sometimes known as the Non-League Lions) and Wales C will meet for a third International Challenge Match at The Oval – the home of Caernarfon Town. The fixture will take place on Wednesday, March 30 with a 7pm kick off.

England C, first played in 1979, has  manager, Paul Fairclough (below), who believes his Non-League’s Lions will show they have technical talent when they take on Wales C this month.

Do you know his "footballing history"?

Fairclough has named his 16-man squad for the clash at Caernarfon Town on March 24 with 11 new faces hoping to make their international debuts. Clubs involved are:
Barrow FC flying high at the top of the National League and they will have three representatives in Josh Kay, Lewis Hardcastle and Patrick Brough.
Boreham Wood also have a treble tops with top scorer Kabongo Tshimanga, Sorba Thomas and highly-rated right-back Kane Smith – who has been selected before but missed out through injury – all getting the nod.
There are also first call-ups for Kidderminster Harriers’, Sam Austin, Barnet striker Josh Walker, Chesterfield’s Liam Mandeville, Harrogate’s Will Smith, Sutton Utd defender Ben Goodliffe and Oxford City goalkeeper Craig King.

This is the third instalment of games between these two rivals since Wales C, made up of Welsh Premier League players, formed in 2018.

England won in Barry 3-2 first up and then drew 2-2 at Salford City FC (below), last season.                  

Kurt Willoughby scored a free-kick in that game and he returns after also leading the line against Estonia last summer.
Hartlepool keeper Ben Killip continues his run as England’s No.1, while Gateshead midfielder Greg Olley returns along with Barnet’s Wes Fonguck. (yes no spelling error)

“It’s a very talented group of players,” Fairclough said. “Hopefully they all stay injury free between now and then bit I’m really excited about working with this group. It’s very talented.
“Some of the regulars are being rewarded for their good work at their clubs with another international cap. The others we’ve identified as being real quality.

“Wales are an open age group but the English agenda is a bit different. We want to win, of course we do and the group I’ve picked are winners, but it’s an opportunity for us to get together and really enjoy a game of football."
“Wales have selected Caernarfon because it’s a hotbed of football. They’ve been selling tickets for a couple of months now so we’re expecting to be met by a wall of Welsh voices.”

The England C squad will meet up on the Saturday evening after their club games before two days of preparation ahead of the fixture.
It’s a quick turnaround for a new squad but Fairclough is confident they will be united by representing their country.
“I could have gone down a much more physical route,” Fairclough said. “Wales like to play football but because they are older, they are strong men.
“So I could have picked a squad with that in mind but I don’t see that as my role, I haven’t picked a side to compete on that level. I’ve selected a group of technical players who will want to get the ball and play as much as we can."
“That’s why I enjoy this so much. Of course there’s still pressure to win games and for them to perform on the day.
“I can’t really remember when we’ve had a side who haven’t turned up. England C doesn’t work like that. They are so highly-motivated and proud that they’re wearing an England shirt.”

The two teams were scheduled to meet in March last year, but the game was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The last clash at the Peninsula Stadium in Salford in 2019 saw the two teams play out a 2-2 draw, while England earned a 3-2 victory at Barry Town United’s Jenner Park in 2018.

England C manager Paul Fairclough said: “We are really pleased to confirm that we’ve accepted an invitation to play this fixture against Wales C. The last two encounters between the two sides have provided plenty of entertainment and a platform for the players to progress their careers, so we’re looking forward to what should be an exciting game for all involved.”

Mark Jones, who has taken charge of the previous two fixtures in the Wales C hotseat, will once again oversee proceedings in Caernarfon. Jones said: “After missing out on this occasion in 2020 due to the pandemic, we’re more excited than ever to be welcoming England C to The Oval. “It will be a fantastic occasion in what will be a momentous week for Welsh football.”

The Vanarama National League and The Pitching In Grassroots Sports Investment Programme is the new sponsor of the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues  

Pitching In is a new Grassroots Sports' Investment Programme that has today been launched by GVC, the multi-national sports-betting and gaming group which owns Ladbrokes and Coral.

The partnership covers all three leagues that make up Steps 3 & 4 of the National Leagues System, who market themselves collectively as the Trident Leagues. 

England footballing legend Stuart Pearce, who played for Wealdstone FC for five years at the start of his long and illustrious career, has been appointed as the official Pitching In ambassador.

The Northern League and the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Football Leagues will be providing funding for England C in this fixture. 

England C squad to face Wales C: Ben Killip – Hartlepool United, Craig King – Oxford City,  Kurt Willoughby – AFC Fylde Wes Fonguck – Barnet Josh Walker – Barnet,  Patrick Brough – Barrow Josh Kay – Barrow,  Lewis Harcastle – Barrow,  Kane Smith – Boreham Wood Kabongo Thsimanga – Boreham Wood,  Sorba Thomas – Boreham Wood, Liam Mandeville – Chesterfield,  Greg Olley – Gateshead,  Will Smith – Harrogate Town,  Sam Austin – Kidderminster Harriers,  Ben Goodliffe – Sutton United