MOSSLEY will find itself at the centre of international action as the town’s promising young footballers go up against those from French twin town, Hem.
Five sides from Mossley Juniors will take on three from Olympique Hemois in a day-long tournament on Sunday, April 27.
Seel Park will host the small-sided matches that find out who will win in the first meeting of the sides in more than 20 years.
The French visitors, from close to Lille in the north of the country, will spend a day looking around the area, they are staying at the Boarshurst Centre in neighbouring Greenfield, before taking to the pitch.
A welcoming ceremony will be held and pleasantries will be exchanged – then the Mossley International Youth Football Tournament begins.
Excitement is growing and it will be a trip down memory lane for James O’Donnell, of partners O’Donnell Solicitors.
For he was part of the last Mossley side to face their friends from Hem!
And already talks of heading to France have been mentioned, with the possibility of players from their German partners in Wiehl also joining in.
More than 30 football matches will take place – gates for which open at 10am – as the winner is decided, while there will also be a family fun fair, face painting, hot and cold food and a sweet stall.
The rebirth of the Mossley-Hem football match is the next stage of the twinning agreement, which has been in place for 53 years.
The purchase of two cotton mills by the firm Du Pont, which comes from the Hem area, in the 1950s saved many jobs with a potential decline in the prosperity of the town and a rise in family hardship.
The manager of the company known locally as “the French Company” worked with the then town clerk to start twinning.
That was in 1972, and the first event was a football match!
Every November, a party from Mossley goes to the remembrance ceremony in Hem, where there are 14 British graves from both world wars.
Sunday, April 27, however, will see the link bolstered even further with youngsters from the towns showing their skills.