Maryland United Boys Soccer 2016 International Trip – Manchester and Glasgow, Scotland Tour Organized By: WorldStrides Excel WorldStrides Excel is located right outside of Baltimore, MD and every summer we work with local club and college teams. This summer, Maryland United Boys team from Bowie, Maryland traveled with Excel. The club sent a full squad, head coach Colin Heriot, and parents on an action packed 10 day soccer tour to Manchester, England and Glasgow, Scotland from July 21st-July 30th, 2017. Maryland United departed Washington Dulles International Airport to start their trip of a lifetime. Arriving at Manchester Airport, the team was met by their WorldStrides Excel tour guide, Lindsay Mackay, and their tour was officially underway! The team stayed in Manchester for four short days and they made the most of it. After arriving the boys headed straight to the pitch for an evening practice session to prepare for their upcoming friendlies. It was already day three and it was time for Maryland United to lace up their boots for their first friendly game vs. Curzon Ashton. Following a hard fought match it was time for the team to head off for a professional match! The team departed for Deepdale Stadium for the match between Preston North End and Stoke City. After 90 minutes of regulation the final score was 1-1. Next stop in Manchester was a stadium tour of the world famous Old Trafford home to Manchester United. The team stepped into the Theater of Dreams and saw the stadium through the eyes of Manchester United greats themselves. During their tour they saw the dressing room, trophy room, and walked through the player’s tunnel onto the pitch. After a day of touring it was time for the team to head off to the pitch for another practice session where they continued to prepare for their upcoming friendly matches. With Liverpool, England only being a short bus ride away, Maryland United took a day trip to the lovely town. The team enjoyed sightseeing in the area which included; the Albert Docks and Liverpool One area and the Beatles Museum. The experience at the museum takes you on a journey through the lives of the Beatles. They walked along the cobbled streets of Hamburg and Matthew Street and soaked up the atmosphere in the recreation of the Cavern Club. The tour also included the emotional White Room, which pays tribute to John Lennon. Following a day of sightseeing in Liverpool, Maryland Untied headed back to Manchester for their second friendly game. The team took the pitch for the match against Airbus UK and Maryland United came out on top with a 2-0 victory!
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Maryland United Boys Soccer 2016 International Trip – Manchester and Glasgow, Scotland Tour Organized By: WorldStrides Excel After a quick four days in Manchester it was time for the team to head to Glasgow, Scotland where they would be staying for the remainder of the trip. Maryland United departed for sightseeing in Scotland. First stop on the tour was the historic capital, Edinburgh. The team visited Edinburgh Castle where it stands guard over the city, traveled down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (the Queen’s official residence in Scotland), explored the many shops and restaurants on Princess Street. A day of sightseeing was followed by the team’s third friendly match vs. Carmuirs Colts at Toryglen Regional Football Centre. It was a hard fought match and a great learning experience for the team. It was already the eighth day of the tour and Maryland United enjoyed more sightseeing in Stirling. The team enjoyed an afternoon walk through the city of Stirling where they saw Wallace Monument, Stirling Castle and much more! After all of the training sessions prior to departure and even more practice sessions overseas the soccer tour was coming to an end with Maryland United’s final friendly game. The team played with a scenic backdrop at Stirling University against Alloa FC, a local academy team. All four games that Maryland United played were great learning opportunities and truly a once in a lifetime experience. Nine days flew by and it was officially Maryland United’s last day in Scotland. The day was spent touring one of the biggest football stadiums in Europe, Celtic Park. The team experienced firsthand, Celtic’s rich heritage (established in 1888) and culture that has made the club famous. The tour through Celtic Park included visits to the home team dressing room and Celtic FC Boardroom walked in the footsteps of legends down the tunnel, sat in the dugout, and took in the atmosphere pitch side. Their last night in Scotland was spent reminiscing about the memories that the team had made together. The tour sadly had to come to an end on Saturday, July 30th. It was time for Maryland United to say their last goodbyes to their Tour Director, Lindsay and Scotland. The soccer experience, sightseeing and memories that the team made together will last a lifetime.
www.eurosoccertours.net