Pupils set to represent Sunderland AFC in Premier League business challenge final

Pupils from Shotton Hall Academy will represent Sunderland AFC in the final of the Premier League Enterprise Challenge.

School groups representing SAFC, Derby County, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United will face each other in this year’s Premier League Enterprise Challenge.

The six finalists each won a regional play-off event to book their place at the final of the challenge, which uses the backdrop of professional football clubs’ business models to deliver enterprise education to inspire young people and increase their aspirations and skills.

Shotton Hall Academy will be representing the Black Cats having beaten Watford, Leicester, Swansea and Stoke at their play-off event at Stoke City’s bet365 Stadium.

Compered by BBC Kickabout presenter Ben Shires, the Enterprise Challenge Final will see the six school teams go head-to-head as they look to explain their business ideas aimed at engaging international fans.

The task which was set by Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore.

The Premier League Enterprise Challenge, which is run in partnership with Sport Relief, has involved more than 11,000 13 to 15-year-olds in educational sessions run by Premier League and English Football League clubs since it began in 2009.

A total of 100 schools and 600 young people have taken part in this year’s challenge.

Judges for this year’s final, who have the difficult task of deciding which school team should be crowned the winners of the competition, are former Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and England Defender Graeme Le Saux, Comic and Sport Relief Ambassador Theo Paphitis and Premier League executive office director Peta Bistany.

It will be the third time that former Dragons Den star Mr Paphitis will be on the judging panel, the businessman having said previously that: “The Premier League Enterprise Challenge is an incredible competition and I encourage anybody who is fortunate enough to be able to enter, to do so, engage with their clubs and be part of making a change to our future.”

The final will take place at Ernst & Young in London on Monday (MAR 20).