Twenty children from a children’s football academy in Mansfield havee been chosen to be part of the guard of honour and pre-match parade at this year’s FA Community Shield game between Manchester City and Liverpool at Wembley.

Kixx Mansfield were chosen, along with seven other football clubs around the country, by Community Shield official supporter McDonald’s. The McDonald’s restaurants in Mansfield Leisure Park and Kings Mill Road East, Sutton, have sponsored Kixx for four years through McDonald’s Club Twinning Programme, providing much needed kit and equipment for the teams.

Liam King, owner of Kixx Mansfield, commented: “This is incredible news and such a great moment for the children to enjoy. The Community Shield is a prestigious occasion celebrating the two best teams in English football, and for some of our young children to get on the pitch at Wembley to be part of the Guard of Honour, is a memory that will stay with them for a lifetime.

“We would like to thank McDonald’s for this opportunity in what will probably make a lot of children from Mansfield very happy.

“The only difficult part is that we have over 600 children who attend our sessions at Kixx Mansfield. So, although we wish we could take everyone, we are launching a little fun competition and randomly picking from those children who can attend the Community Shield on 4th August.”

Kerry Graves, operations consultant for McDonald’s Mansfield, said: “It makes me proud to be able to give the children at Kixx Mansfield this incredible opportunity of being part of the Guard of Honour at this year’s FA Community Shield match. Having supported the team for a number of years, we can’t wait to see them as part of the match parade. Grassroots football is a huge part of the community in Mansfield and we’re delighted to be part of it through sponsoring Kixx.”

All children involved will be part of the pre-match parade on the Wembley pitch, which happens right before the game, be part of their own team photos and form a part of the guard of honour. Not only that but the children, along with a parent, will be escorted to seats in Wembley Stadium to enjoy the game.