Eleven-year-old Laura Fairey from Benfleet is looking forward to a “once in a lifetime opportunity” of walking out with Roy Hodgson’s England team when they face Slovakia in Euro 2016 on Monday 20th June after winning a competition run by Kia Motors and The Sun newspaper.
Laura was lucky enough to be chosen as one of two children from England to be an official match ball carrier at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint-Étienne, France, in front of millions of television viewers. It forms part of an all-expenses paid experience she’ll enjoy along with her mother, Toni Fordham.
They’ll be flying to Lyon the day before and will be met at the airport by a driver and a UEFA chaperone before being taken to their hotel. On matchday, Laura needs to arrive at the stadium six hours prior to kick-off to receive her official uniform, participate in interviews and photographs and run through a rehearsal of her duties for that evening. Laura and Toni will then watch the game together and, the next day, they’ll be treated to a sight-seeing trip.
As part of the competition, Toni had to submit her child’s footballing story and state why she felt she deserved the opportunity. “Laura has been playing football since the age of five,” Toni recalled. “She tried other hobbies, but football is her passion and what she has stuck with. She is a real team player and enjoys challenging herself.”
“Last May, Laura was diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter Disease [a painful condition which affects the upper part of the shin bone]. She had a particularly bad bout of the condition and was referred to a specialist, undergoing months of physiotherapy. Laura was devastated.”
However, after signing for West Ham United Girls at the age of nine, she’s now been there for two seasons. “I’m pleased to say she is back to full fitness,” Toni revealed. “She has continued to play regular football this season and has learnt to manage the condition. She was determined she was not going to let this stop her from doing what she loves.”
Then, when Toni was first contacted by the Events Manager at Kia Motors confirming Laura had been chosen, she couldn’t quite believe it: “Dreams do come true! They said Laura had won from literally thousands of entries but it was her passion, dedication, determination and love for the game that won it for her. When I told Laura the news she was over the moon. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and she feels very lucky and privileged.”
