Soldiers swapped their Army boots for football boots thanks to a leading Wiltshire housebuilder when they headed off to the United States to get some top tips from football heroes.
Members of the 3rd York Battalion are already football stars in their own right but they found themselves playing on the same pitch as legends of both the silver screen and football after Charles Church Wessex sponsored their 10-day trip.
The players are the first squad in 123 years to win both the Army Cup and the Infantry Football Cup, however after a tour of Afghanistan their skills were somewhat rusty and they decided a football tour of America would be just what they needed.
Captain Nick Wilson, of the 3rd York Battalion which is based in Warminster, said: “After a tour of Afghanistan it was great for us to turn back to football and we took some of the lads who had been injured with us and it was a tremendous benefit for all of us. We are very grateful to Charles Church for helping us find the funds for our trip.”
As part of their support Charles Church held a charity auction for the squad to raise more than £5,000 towards the £25,000 needed to send a team of 18 soldiers, including some who were recovering from their injuries.
They started their tour with a three-day stay in Los Angeles where they got to train with the mighty LA Galaxy, the former club of England ace David Beckham.
Captain Wilson said: “We did meet the LA Galaxy captain Robbie Keane, an ex-Tottenham player and we were given some great training and advice ready for our match against the Hollywood All Stars.”
The squad also got to meet football star turned actor Vinnie Jones, who coaches the Hollywood All Stars.
“Vinnie was really, really good. His son is in the Army and is about to be deployed to Afghanistan so he was very interested in what was going on over there and really understood.”
They also got to play against ex-Chelsea and Wigan player Mario Melchiot who has headed to LA to try an acting career. Sadly the team lost to the Hollywood All Stars 4-3 but they were undeterred as they headed for a three-day trip to San Diego.
Once there they drew 3-3 against soccer league squad San Diego Flash, which is run by ex-England player Warren Barton.
Then it was off for another three days in Las Vegas where the squad also enjoyed another 3.3 draw against Tyneside United.
Now the squad is ready for the start of the Army football season in September when they will play in partnership with Frome Town Football Club who will help them train. They have set their sights on regaining the two cup titles as well as winning the Army premiership, which they also won two seasons ago.
Sgt Wilson added: “The whole trip was brilliant and was a great opportunity for us. Without Charles Church we would not have got it off the ground as they raised thousands of pounds for us. We had been away from football for such a long time and to concentrate on it again was really wonderful for all of us. It was a real cut from Afghanistan and made us focus on the future.”
Tracey Gallacher, field sales manager at Charles Church Wessex, said: “We were thrilled to be able to help these brave soldiers reconnect with their love of football by fundraising for this trip to the US.
“It is heart-warming to hear how much it has benefited them and the huge amount of enjoyment they have all clearly had. Now we will just keep our fingers crossed that they can win the two cups once again.”