Join us in the Banqueting Suite at Edgbaston for a major football dinner and screening on Tuesday 23rd June featuring England’s crucial third group game against the Czech Republic.
We are thrilled to welcome a panel of Midlands legends to our event representing each of the four big West Midlands clubs. Our guests will be previewing the match and England’s prospects in the tournament, as well as discussing their own stellar careers along with our Sky Sports host for the day, Pete Graves.
The event will include a delicious three course dinner, memorabilia auction and raffle, giant screen coverage of the big match and analysis from our VIP guests with our Sky Sports presenter. Guests will also be able to enjoy all the action for the Vitality T20 Blast match between Birmingham Bears and Northamptonshire Steelbacks.
England’s Opponent: England will face the Czech Republic in a match they will likely have to win if they are to top the group and head off to a potentially favourable quarter-final draw in Dublin. Although England have only had four previous meetings against the Czech Republic since Czechoslovakia was broken up, Gareth Southgate and his charges will know them well having played twice in the group stages, a thumping 5-0 victory and a surprising 2-1 defeat in Prague in the return match in October last year. England will be seeking revenge
Gabby Agbonlahor (Aston Villa): A one club man and Aston Villa legend, Gabby is the club’s leading Premier League goal-scorer with 73 strikes in 323 top-flight appearances, scoring in all eleven seasons from 2005-2016. He also has the 4th highest appearances of all-time for the Villains with 391 in all competitions, with a total of 86 goals. The lightning quick striker was capped 16 times at U21 level, scoring 4 goals, and went on to make 3 full international appearances for the Three Lions. Gabby was named Premier League player of the month in November 2007 after a great scoring run and is fondly remembered by fans as a key player during a fine era for the club.
Clinton Morrison (Birmingham City): Clinton started his career at Crystal Palace where he quickly established himself as a prolific striker in the First Division with 71 goals in 180 appearances for the Eagles before moving to the Midlands. A favourite with Birmingham City fans during his time at St. Andrew’s, Clinton played all but one of his 88 Premier League matches whilst at the club from 2002-2005, in a highly successful period for the Blues. He then returned to Selhurst Park, again becoming a fans’ favourite, before later spells with Coventry City, Sheffield Wednesday and Colchester Utd. Clinton now appears regularly as a summariser on Sky Sports football coverage.
Curtis Davies (West Brom): With over 500 senior appearances to his name, Curtis has featured for numerous Midlands clubs including West Brom, Aston Villa and Birmingham City, and is now plying his trade at Derby County in The Championship. A veteran of almost 200 Premier League starts, he was named Player of the Year for 2013/14 whilst at Hull City, helping the Tigers to secure their top-flight status, and scoring in the FA Cup Final against Arsenal in a heart-breaking 3-2 defeat after being 2-0 up. Capped 3 times at England U21 level, Curtis has featured in the full England squad on multiple occasions and is considered by many shrewd judges to have been very unlucky not to have been capped.
Matt Murray (Wolves) : Former England U-21 international Matt Murray spent his entire career at Wolves, before a succession of injuries brought his career to a premature end at the age of 29. Matt made over 100 first team appearances at Molineux and was named in the Championship Team of the Year in 2006-07, as well as picking up the PFA Fans Player of the Year in the same season. Ever-popular with Wolves supporters during his playing days, Matt now works as a roving match reporter and in-studio summariser for Sky Sports, alongside the likes of Alan McInally, Paul Merson, Charlie Nicholas and Phil Thompson.
Pete Graves: A passionate Newcastle Utd fan, Pete has enjoyed a swift rise through the broadcasting ranks to become one of the most recognisable faces on Sky Sports. After leaving university, Pete started his broadcasting career with the hospital radio show Radio Tyneside, before working in the local Metro Radio, and then ITV Tyneside as a sports reporter. Since 2009 he has worked at Sky Sports, mainly as a presenter, where his passion for sport and all-round knowledge are amongst his greatest assets.
Birmingham Bears vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks: You’ll be sure to see huge hitting in this Vitality T20 Blast group match between two of the country’s leading teams as 2014 winners Bears take on the 2013 and 2016 champions, Steelbacks. Both teams hold high hopes of making the Blast Finals day once more, whether you’re a seasoned watcher or a novice you’ll be sure to enjoy the adrenaline-fuelled spectacle of T20 cricket!
Edgbaston Stadium: We are delighted to be holding our event in the Banqueting Suite at Edgbaston Stadium, which is a fantastic large facility, perfectly suited to our event. This is the stadium’s premium pitch-facing facility, enjoying magnificent views over the middle, and plenty of natural light. Our guests will enjoy quality dining and service for which Edgbaston is rightly renowned, with ample complimentary parking for all attendees.
