Maidenhead & Windsor

A football match between Maidenhead police officers and local youngsters will be going ahead on 2 April, after it was postponed due to problems with the pitch.

PC Greig Williams, one of the local beat officers for Pinkneys Green, Maidenhead has organised a football match between a team of his fellow officers and young people from the area known locally as the ‘Bomber’ estate.

The match, which was originally planned to take place in January, will now be held on Sunday 2 April at Maidenhead Football Club in York Road, Maidenhead. Kick-off is scheduled for 1pm.

“Maidenhead United FC has kindly allowed us to use their pitch,” said Greig. “The club will be opening all its facilities, including the tea bar and clubhouse, and they have said that everyone is welcome to come along. Refreshments will be available, so it should be an enjoyable afternoon.

”Youngsters from the estate will be using this event as a fund raiser for a teen shelter to be put up in Oaken Grove park, and we are hoping for donations from people attending the match.”

PC Williams has put together a team of 18 officers, including PC Andy Amor, who has recently joined him in the local beat team that covers Pinkneys Green, Maidenhead. They will play a full 11-a-side game against the ‘Bomber’ team, who are aged from their mid teens to early twenties.

“Although there have been some issues with anti-social behaviour in this part of Maidenhead in recent months, most of the young people who live there do not cause problems,” he said. “We want to find ways of engaging with the youngsters and encouraging them to use their energies more constructively.

“Previous football matches organised between police officers and youngsters in Britwell, Slough, as well as the ‘Kick out racism’ football tournament in Maidenhead in October last year, have had a very positive impact on relationships between police and the community.

“We’re hoping that this match will have a similar effect, and that plenty of families, friends, neighbours and colleagues will come along on 2 April to support both teams.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Maidenhead