Training at Manly Vale Football Club looked a little different last night, with more than 100 wide-eyed junior players, parents and coaches gathered around a special guest: former England international and Arsenal star Theo Walcott, alongside the iconic Premier League Trophy.
The visit forms part of the Premier League Trophy Down Under Tour, a promotional event tied to Australian broadcaster Stan Sport, bringing the famous silverware to selected grassroots clubs across Australia.
Manly Vale FC earned the special visit after successfully entering a Stan Sport competition inviting clubs to explain in 25 words or less why the trophy should come to see them.
Club Secretary Roy Sider said: “I entered us.
“It took 25 well-crafted words on why the club should be deserving, and hey presto, we won.
“There were two things that I called out in our in our application.
“One was that it is our 75th year anniversary, so I thought that would be great to commemorate.
“And secondly, half the committee are actually mad Arsenal supporters.
The competition, widely promoted across social media, offered one grassroots club in each of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane the chance to host Walcott and the trophy at their local training session.
“It has totally exceeded our expectations,” Roy said.
“The number of parents and kids at such short notice.
“We only got wind of this a few days ago that we were selected.
“It has been an absolute raging success.”
Walcott is one of the Premier Leagues era’s most recognisable forwards.
The former Arsenal winger made 270 Premier League appearances for the club between 2006 and 2018, scoring 65 goals during his time with the Gunners.
He also played 47 senior international matches for England, scoring eight goals, and famously became England’s youngest-ever senior player when he debuted at just 17 years and 75 days old.
For fans in Australia, where matches kick off in the early hours of the morning, the visit felt like recognition of the dedication required to follow the world’s most watched football league.
And at David Thomas Reserve, that dedication was on full display.
Manly players and parents arrived dressed head-to-toe in Arsenal gear to meet Walcott, who spent time answering questions, signing shirts and crocs, and kicking a ball around with the kids.
Club president Jules Nickson Pole said: “The kids went crazy.
“They mobbed him, and they loved playing with him.
“Just watching Theo interact with the kids was absolutely fantastic.
“Even the way that he answered the questions with the kids was brilliant.”
Among those thrilled by the visit was young player Max Waller.
“He is a very famous person from Britain, and he played for Arsenal, which I support,” Max said.
“He has pretty much inspired me.”
Parent Toriz Lunt, originally from North London, said seeing Walcott at the local training ground felt strange.
“He is a little bit more my era,” Toriz said.
“Last time I saw him I think I was at the stadium watching him, so it is pretty bizarre seeing him here.”
He is also hoping his team, Arsenal, can extend their seven-point lead over Manchester City and go on to lift the trophy.
“Hopefully we take them all out,” Toriz said.
Another player, Matteo Pinn, highlighted how important these moments are for club sport.
“It is actually really nice for grassroots here in Australia.
“Such a big player like Theo, he has had huge moments and there is a lot of Arsenal fans in Australia and Sydney.
“It is really nice for kids’ football here, even for us.”
The visit also comes as Manly Vale FC prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary season, with a number of events planned throughout the year, including new commemorative kits and a celebratory dinner at Manly Pacific.
More information about the tour via www.stan.news
