England and Chelsea footballer Siobhan Chamberlain was an interested spectator as she attended Richmond’s Competitive Edge Primary Schools Girls Football Festival in Teddington.
The tournament at the NPL Sports Club saw around 230 girls aged between 9 and 11 from 23 primary schools taking part.
It was also a talent-spotting day for the borough, with some of the team’s leading lights being asked to try out for Richmond’s girls’ football team for July’s Mini Games of the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games.
Siobhan Chamberlain played at the London Youth Games as a youngster, helping Wandsworth to victory in 1998. She has since gone on to the elite end of the women’s games, playing in goal for Chelsea and England.
She said: “There was never any tournament like this for primary school girls.
"Now they have centre of excellence at each club from under 10s up to under 16s. I didn’t have that opportunity, so it is definitely moving in the right direction.”
Queen’s Primary School were the overall cup winners and East Sheen won the plate.
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