Northampton Town's under 12 academy team are travelling to Ypres in Belgium alongside their Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur counterparts to take part in the Walter Tull Memorial Festival later this month. The festival will be an eight team tournament that will take place from March 20-22.
The tournament, which will honour Tull, one of the most famous Cobblers players, will take the form of a round robin competition, with each team playing each other. The trip will also include an evening dinner and a Menin Gate Ceremony on the Saturday evening.
The Cobblers squad will make the trip, kindly supported by Imperial Car Supermarket, and Academy Manager Ian Sampson said it will be a fantastic opportunity for the players.
"This will be a wonderful experience for our boys, from both a playing and an educational point of view," he said.
"On the field, the boys will get to test themselves against the youngsters from Manchester United and Spurs, while off the field, they will get to learn a lot about a man who did so much for so many people, breaking down barriers and someone who was an inspirational figure and is quite rightly held in such high regard, not just by Northampton Town but by so many people across all walks of life.
"Manchester United have shown a great interest in Walter's story and this isn’t the first time we have linked up with them to play matches in Walter's memory. This has helped form a strong bond between the two clubs and we are delighted that United and Tottenham amongst others are taking part.
"We are also really grateful to Neil and the team at Imperial Cars for their support in helping the boys attend this event. It is a fantastic opportunity for them, one they will learn so much from, and it is a fantastic community gesture from Imperial Cars to support this trip."