Bolton‑le‑Sands pupils could play at Wembley after winning North West schools football tournament

Year 6 pupils from a Bolton-le-Sands school are one step away from playing at Wembley.

Bolton‑le‑Sands School’s football team have been crowned winners of the North West Finals of the National League Cup at AFC Fylde.

Teams travelled from across the North West to compete in the prestigious tournament, with the standard of football exceptionally high throughout the day.

The team progressed through their group stage in impressive fashion, recording five wins from five games, before moving into the knockout rounds.

In the semi‑final, they showed discipline and resilience to secure a hard‑fought 1–0 victory over Marine.

The final saw Bolton‑le‑Sands face a strong and well‑organised Altrincham FC side in a closely contested match. With neither team able to find a decisive goal during normal play, the final was settled by sudden death penalty kicks, where the Bolton‑le‑Sands players claimed the title.

The victory marks a first‑ever National League Cup North West Finals win for Bolton‑le‑Sands School and represents a significant milestone in the school’s sporting history.

Mr Joshua Dixon, coach and assistant headteacher at Bolton‑le‑Sands School, paid tribute to both the achievement and the character shown by the players throughout the competition.

“I am incredibly proud of this group of boys and what they have achieved today,” said Josh.

“This is an amazing accomplishment, but more than that, I cannot describe to a man the values these boys have shown to get this far.

‘’Their teamwork, resilience, respect and determination have been outstanding, and that means just as much as the result.”

Mr Dixon also highlighted the collective effort behind the success, including those unable to take part on the day.

“We are proud of every boy who represented us on the pitch, and also of the young man who had to remain in school due to squad size restrictions - he is very much part of this journey.

"Myself, my assistant Dean, the boys and their families are all hugely excited for the next round and the possibility of a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity to play at Wembley.”

The school also expressed its thanks to AFC Fylde for hosting the finals and providing an excellent venue for the competition, as well as to Morecambe FC in the Community for their continued support throughout the tournament.

Bolton‑le‑Sands School will now go on to represent Morecambe again in the North of England Finals in York on April 22.

The winners of that stage will earn the opportunity to play at Wembley Stadium, adding further excitement to what has already been a memorable journey.