Prince William enjoyed a lively welcome at Sporting Khalsa FC in Willenhall, West Midlands, on Tuesday, where he was greeted with an enthusiastic array of high-fives.
However, before showcasing his refereeing skills, the Prince made a private visit to his cherished football club, Aston Villa, to observe the team’s training ahead of their Champions League match against Club Brugge on Wednesday.
As a devoted supporter of Aston Villa for years, the future King has regularly been seen in the stands during both Premier League and Champions League games. After wishing his team good luck for the upcoming match, William arrived at Sporting Khalsa FC about 30 minutes late, welcomed by over 100 cheering schoolchildren.
Upon his arrival, William exchanged greetings with the crowd, saying, “Hello, it’s nice to see you all,” as he posed for selfies, shared hugs and high-fives, and chatted with students from Fibbersley Park Academy, who created posters and flags in his honor while chanting his name. One sign, which caught his eye, proclaimed, “Aston Villa is the best,” while another wished him luck with the message, “Hello Prince William, I hope you are a good ref!”
On the pitch, William practiced his refereeing skills, learning about foul calls, whistle signals, and flagging during a training course held at the club.
This initiative, which has been running since July 2023, combines practical and theoretical training and is part of the FA’s Reflective and Representative campaign, aiming to recruit 1,000 individuals from Black, Asian, and mixed heritage backgrounds into refereeing positions.
This engagement marked William’s first public appearance since becoming patron of the Football Association (FA) last summer; he had previously served as President of the FA since 2006.
During the training session, William joined students in analyzing video clips, deciding if the actions depicted warranted red cards, yellow cards, or no cards at all. He playfully joined the students in moving to different areas of the room based on their decisions, quipping, “I’ll follow the crowd.”
When questioned about his choice to issue a red card, he sought advice from two girls beside him, asserting, “I think it’s studs up. Straight leg. I think it’s dangerous, because of the height of where it is.” The students who agreed with him were told they were correct.
Prince William also took the time to speak with Levi Gray, a professional referee and lieutenant in the British Army, about her career journey.
Afterward, Lt. Gray expressed her enthusiasm: “It was brilliant. I am so pleased I could be here and that he could support an event like this. We talked about women in football, which is definitely growing, and how different the women’s game is compared to the men’s in terms of being more family-oriented and supportive. We discussed the importance of representation and how events like this can inspire others to believe that they can pursue similar paths.”
