ALBION stars made a surprise appearance at a football tournament for vulnerable young people.
Lewis Dunk and Victoria Williams, captains for the men and women’s teams, were at the tournament which was being held at Albion’s training centre in Lancing.
They were also joined by Dutch defender Joel Veltman as well as women’s players Julia Zigotti Olme, Katie Robinson and Emma Kullberg.
The tournament, called Play Together Football Festival, was hosted by Albion In The Community (AITC), the club's official charity, along with sponsor American Express.
The tournament was “open rules” which meant there was no referee to allow those taking part to develop skills in “decision making, negotiation and compromise, with an emphasis on fair play”.
Nikki Edelman, vice president at American Express, said: “It was a great day and very encouraging to see young people of all ages, genders and abilities playing football together and having fun.
“What made it even more special was seeing the interaction with the club’s players. With the new season just around the corner we’re very grateful to the players for taking time out of their training schedules to provide support to so many of the participants, alongside our incredible American Express volunteers.”
There were tournaments for children aged seven to 11 years old and 12 to 16 years old, both of which had eight teams.
There was also a women’s walking football tournament which consisted of 34 players.
In total, there were more than 120 people participating in the festival on July 29.
Paul Brackley, disability manager at AITC, said: “We know that football is a hugely powerful tool to engage and inspire young people, promote diversity, equality and inclusion, and improve physical and mental health.
“The event is the first in a series of football festivals being planned, designed to introduce new people to football as a sport for all, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, so that everyone feels welcome in football.”
AITC led the event with its coaches, while American Express had 15 volunteers there.
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