Leroy Lita

Images credit: Mark Roach / uSports.

 

Leroy Lita the guest of honour as local schools take part in pre-World Cup football tournament.

Reading FC legend Leroy Lita will be the guest of honour as a host of schools in the Reading and Wokingham area bid for local glory in a pre-World Cup football tournament on Friday.

Lita was Reading’s record signing when he joined from Bristol City for £1m in 2005.

He helped Reading secure promotion to the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history, winning the Championship title with a record 106 points. 

He then scored the winning goal as Reading came from 2-0 down to beat Gareth Southgate’s Middlesbrough 3-2 in their first ever Premier League game in August 2006.

Lita will be on hand to present trophies and medals at the Woodley Carnival schools football tournament, which takes place at Woodford Park in Woodley on Friday.

Schools entering teams into the boys and girls tournaments include: Nine Mile Ride, Westende Junior School, Woodley C of E Primary School, Robert Piggott, The Coombes, Farley Hill Primary School, Loddon Primary School, Rivermead Primary School, South Lake Primary School, Crazies Hill Primary School, St John’s C of E Primary School, Winnersh Primary School, Redlands Primary School, Evendons Primary School and St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School.

Reading FC legend Glen Little was guest of honour at the Woodley Carnival schools football tournament last year. David Bragg, who stepped down after a year as Woodley’s Mayor last month, was also present and participated in the presentation ceremony.

Little said: “It was a pleasure to be invited to present medals at the tournament last year. It was an amazing event and it was great to see so many boys and girls having fun.”

Woodley based business owner Charlie Hiscox resurrected the tournament two years ago, after it was discontinued in 2017.

Hiscox, who played in the tournament as a child, now runs uSports, which provides community, school and nursery sports coaching to thousands of children each week in more than 100 schools and nurseries in the Reading and Wokingham area.

He said: “It was fantastic to be able to bring the tournament back two years ago – and I’m delighted that we will have another Reading FC legend present this year.”