A JUNIOR football team stuck indoors during lockdown have produced their own video thanking the NHS and other key workers for their roles in the coronavirus pandemic relief effort.

Boys and girls at Garden City Junior Football Club in Chepstow produced their videos earlier this week, with all of the players sending their own small messages of thanks.

Chairman of the club, James Duckworth, explained the aim of the videos and the challenge of keeping the children engaged at this time.

“Throughout this period, we’ve been working hard with the FAW to come up with new ideas to keep them engaged and happy,” he said.

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“We’re not just trying to make them better footballers, at this level it’s much more about developing them as people, and that’s something the lockdown has given us even more of a chance to reflect on and try harder with.

“It’s certainly better than doing skills with toilet roll like you see some of the professionals doing.

“We have been doing some virtual sessions and challenges, but we knew we needed to do something as a group to say thank you to those working hard for us, and to help the children appreciate that.”

The teams usually train together once a week and play matches on a Sunday, and Mr Duckworth said he was worried taking that away could have a negative impact on them.

“My son plays under 10s, so I realise first hand that being stuck at home for them isn’t nice – while we understand it’s necessary," he said.

“We haven’t played since the first weekend of March, so it has been about trying to keep them as engaged as possible and talking to one another - and challenging them as well."

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Chairman and coach James Duckworth

Mr Duckworth and other parents and coaches at the club collected all of the videos and pieced them together.

"It's been really enjoyable, for the adults as well as the children," he added. "We'd usually be gearing up for the spring festival this year where we invite lots of teams around the region to Beachley Barracks. That's now had to be postponed until September, which is a hit on revenue for us. We'll be okay though, there are good people at the club who are making sure we'll get through this period."