As part of our 125^th anniversary celebrations we are pleased to announce we are considering a new summer competition which will involve all the HFA County League Clubs. The HFA Summer Shield will pit a County League “North” side up against their “South” equivalents in a one-off Charity match.

The squads will be formed of players from each of the County League teams to create two all-star representative sides that will then face off against each other. Similar to the Barbarians in Rugby, players will wear their club socks so they retain their club identity during the match. Clubs will be encouraged to nominate 3 players to participate in the match from which the two final squads will be selected. Goals, appearances and discipline will all be considered to determine the final squads as well as giving clubs the opportunity to vote on opposition players.

The Summer Shield will provide a unique opportunity for county league players to compete alongside a new set of teammates and represent their region. Football Development Officer Joe Mathias added “We hope that this goes on to become an annual event which rewards players for their performances and commitment throughout the regular season. On the day we will be raising money for charity and hope this is something the whole County League community can get behind”

The initial split (subject to change) for the North and South Squads has been made below with the aim of maintaining an even spread of clubs between the two.

North – Bartestree Reserves, Bromyard Downs, Credenhill Rangers, Civil Service, Clee Hill, Kington Town, Kington Town Reserves, Ludlow Colts, Malvern Reserves, Malvern Vale Development, Marden, Orleton, Orleton Reserves, Pegasus Reserves, Shobdon, Tenbury Town, Tenbury United, The Lion, Wellington Reserves, Wellington Colts, Withington,

South – Belmont Rangers, Dore Valley, Dorstone, Ewyas Harold, Ewyas Harold Reserves, Fownhope, Hereford City, Harriers, Holme Lacy, Holme Lacy Reserves, Hinton, Hinton Reserves, Kingstone Rovers, Lads Club Colts, Lads Club Reserves, Ledbury Town, Ledbury Town Reserves, Ross Juniors, Westfields Reserves, Whitecross

With proceeds from the event going to charity, Herefordshire FA will be funding this initiative as part of their strategy to maintain and grow adult football in the county. The Summer Shield will generate further interest in County football and give added incentive for remaining committed throughout the season. More information on the venue, timing and selection for the event as well as the charity being supported will be announced over the coming weeks so please watch this space.

As always we value your opinions and suggestions as we finalise arrangements for this event, if you have any comments please contact:
Email: Joe.Mathias@HerefordshireFA.com
Phone: 01432 342179