Honoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, specially boys and girls, good morning.
It has been a long and often tiresome journey from London to china not just the 11
hours on the plane to deliver the Sino-UK School Football project.

From my first meeting with Mr Nelson Cheng, the foundation's chief executive, over
10 years ago in London and today in China.

Now it is with great honour and pride that I stand here today.

My first visit to Beijing and China for the initial launch of the Sino-UK School Football project was inspirational.

A feeling that has never been lost over the last 10 years working with Nelson Cheng
to bring an understanding of our two cultures to the young people of our two great
countries, as chief executive of the English schools' football association and a
member of the football association of England's general council it has beeu an honour
to work with the Sino-UK School Football project.

Football is truly a world wide game that brings enjoyment, fitness zrnd health to
millions of people. But schools' football is different!

Working with the Football Association of England

The English schools' Football Association was formed in 1904 and today is the
largest organisation of its kind in the world.

Therefore it was durilg our centenary celebrations in 2003 that talks began between
the Dr. Sun Yi Xian's Youth Foundation (U.K.) and English Schools F.A.

During that first visit to Beijing I was honoured to meet members of the Chinese
Government and to be apart of a wonderful parade of school children. I believe 10
thousand of them all with a football.

In Tianamen Square, the children showed their huge passion for the game that we all
love, I was pleased to host a delegation of young Chinese players to play and train
with us at Keele University, in England, in August 2006.

Since then Nelson Cheng and myself has been working hard on the project which has
grown substantially form those early days.

He has committed substantial time, finance and investment into the project and has
relied on the good will and loyalty of his famity. Thank you, Nelson.

There are now 3 main elements to the project:

1) The introduction of a specially designed coaching course to be delivered to
school teachers around China. Eventually to cover over 62 major cities. The
Football Association of England is proud to be part of this project and have
produced the course that is to be deiivered this week and we hope for the next
15 years as well.Jamie Houchin, My friend and colleague from the Football Association, is
supported by coaches from England who have all trained at the new
headquarters for football training in England St George's Park. I hope that in
the fullness of time Chinese school teachers will be able to continue their
football development and education at this state of the art facility.

2) Provide a learning platform at one of England's specialist colleges where a
number of Chinese 16 yeat olds can come to England to study and to play
football.

3) Further and better the relationships between English and Chinese young
people through playing football matches. The England schoolboys under 18,
team will hofefully be able to play China in an international during the next
season. A match that can be replicated in England in future years. However,
today, we are here to celebrate the coaching elernent of the project.

The football association of England has signed a 15 years long term agreement
with The Dr. Sun Yi Xian's Youth Foundation to provide the coaching expertise at school level
although football is the world game.

Schools' football has a different dimension to it where winning at all costs is
not acceptable.

Schools' football provides the platform for young people to study a number of
academic subjects such as: Physics, Geography, Languages and many other
academic subjects.

As well as instilling discipline, a sporting ethos and friendship.
All this plus fitness and health what else could we ask for in our young people.

Congratulations to Nelson Cheng and his team and may the project gather
speed over the next few years.

Thank you

English School Football Assoicate chief executive
John Read