Perm football team to take part in twinned cities tournament in Oxford

Photo: Yuriy Shestakov

Young football players from Perm Youth Sports School went to Oxford to join the Twin Cities Football Cup  in Oxford. 

The Perm team of young football players and the accompanying persons will be staying in Oxford during  August 8-22, 2018. The guests from Perm will be offered a wide cultural programme, but the main focus is going to be the important sports event – the international football tournament.  The idea of holding a football competition to mark the 2018 FIFA World Cup, bringing together teams from Oxford twinned cities, originated during the visit of the Oxford delegation for  the summer football camp in Perm last year. 

 The Oxford sportsmen were so much excited after their  visit to Perm, and the decision was taken to organize not only the return visit for the team from Perm,  but invite the teams from all the five twin cities of Oxford, expanding the format of the event. This was a special issue to discuss during the visit of the Lord Mayor of Oxford  Colin Cook  to Perm in June this year for the celebrations of the 295th anniversary of Perm City. 

To remind, in late July- early August 2017  Oxford  representatives became part of the international project  “Summer Football Camp” uniting the twin cities of Perm.  Oxford  delegated the East Oxford United Football Club chosen for its best sport results and also as a club training children from ordinary families.

Oxford delegation  numbered 23 people, 17 children aged between 12 and 15 and  six accompanying adults. During their stay the guests took part in football matches and played mini-football, enjoyed sport games of basketball, volleyball, table-tennis and athletics, as well as  a variety of creative  competitions and tours around the Perm Region towns.

The main sports event – the Friendship Trophy – was held on August 11, bringing together 12  youth football teams from Perm City, town of the Perm Region and the East Oxford United Club. The trophy was won by the team from the Youth Sports School of Lysva (the Perm Region).

Following the completion of  the summer camp a letter of thanks in the name of the Perm Mayor Dmitry Samoilov was received from the then Lord Mayor of Oxford Jean Fooks and leader of Oxford City Council Bob Price, who expressed their gratitude for “the wonderful experiences of the East Oxford United Football Club in Perm”. 

“ The boys, the club chairman, the coach and the four accompanying parents were immensely impressed by the organization of the camp, by the wide range of activities, and by the visits made to different towns to take part in the Friendship Trophy. Above all they felt overwhelmed by the friendliness from everyone they met. It was a tremendous welcome from the Russian people. They have very happy and outstanding memories of their visit. We hope to arrange a return visit for young footballers from Perm in the future”, the letter said.