On Thurs 8th December we were very proud and privileged to welcome to Knockavoe School current TV pundit and former Celtic/Arsenal/West Ham player John Hartson and Off The ball presenter and sports journalist Aisling O Reilly. John was on his way home from Qatar where he was commenting on the World Cup and stopped in to make visits around Strabane. And luckily as a result of our close our links with The Signal Foundation and SB Sports - we were able to secure a visit with John.
John was amazing with all our wee pupils. He signed autographs and had his picture taken with everyone. In the assembly Hall we had a wee Q & A session. No topic was off limits - John answered questions about his past teammates and players, his best manager, best goal, best keepers, even what type of car he drove and what he liked to eat! We were treated to wee anecdotes about his time playing football and the experiences he just had being in Qatar during the World Cup. John even spoke to the pupils and staff about his recent battles with cancer and how he found the strength to recover. The children were delighted to spend time with Aisling and John and to get their advice on how to become journalists and professional footballers. The staff were just as excited, and John was more than accommodating in getting photos taken and providing videos for family members! Unfortunately, we didn't have the time for John to show us any football skills or drills, but we have assured him of a very warm welcome if he were return to Strabane in the future. John left with a big smile on his face, a thank you card from the pupils and an autograph from one of our star football players.
We spent a very exciting and interesting morning with John, Aisling, David and Stephen and would like to thank them all for this experience.
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