It's back to school for Cod Army duo

Christmas came early for a host of young Fleetwood Town fans as head coach Uwe Rosler and long-standing skipper Nathan Pond held their pre-Shrewsbury conference at Fleetwood High School.
Fleetwood Town head coach Uwe Rosler and player Nathan Pond answer questions from pupils at Fleetwood HighFleetwood Town head coach Uwe Rosler and player Nathan Pond answer questions from pupils at Fleetwood High
Fleetwood Town head coach Uwe Rosler and player Nathan Pond answer questions from pupils at Fleetwood High

Rosler and Pond were grilled by young Cod Army members in the sports hall at the Broadway based secondary school on topics ranging from 31-year-old defender Pond’s record breaking 14-season stint at the League One club to new boss Rosler’s playing days at Manchester City on Thursday.

And after the press conference Rosler with his speckled white beard took on the role of Father Christmas as he and Pond signed autographs and handed out early presents of posters and free tickets for Town’s next home game at Walsall on Saturday December 10.

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Young Town fan and Fleetwood high student Robbie Burns-Bragg, 11, from Fleetwood, was over the moon to be able to ask the duo some questions ahead of the eighth-placed side’s FA Cup second round clash at Shrewsbury today.

Fleetwood Town head coach Uwe Rosler and player Nathan Pond answer questions from pupils at Fleetwood HighFleetwood Town head coach Uwe Rosler and player Nathan Pond answer questions from pupils at Fleetwood High
Fleetwood Town head coach Uwe Rosler and player Nathan Pond answer questions from pupils at Fleetwood High

He said: “It was just astonishing.

“The way it was Nathan Pond he has played for us for so long and now we have a new manager and since we’ve got this new manager we have been doing so well and it has just shocked me that they have come in to this school and we have actually got to ask them things about their careers.

“Uwe Rosler has answered a lot of questions and already he knows a lot about this club and Pondy is just amazing because he just knows so much about the club.

“I think Uwe is doing a good job and Pondy always does a good job.”

Fleetwood Town head coach Uwe Rosler and player Nathan Pond answer questions from pupils at Fleetwood HighFleetwood Town head coach Uwe Rosler and player Nathan Pond answer questions from pupils at Fleetwood High
Fleetwood Town head coach Uwe Rosler and player Nathan Pond answer questions from pupils at Fleetwood High
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And Rosler says it is important for him and the players to meet the young Fleetwood fans and hopes they have convinced some more youngsters to join the Cod Army.

He said: “I think it is very important that us coaches as well as players and leaders going out in the community it is always important to interact with the supporters to have a line of communication.”

While head teacher Richard Barnes says it was a fantastic experience for all of the youngsters who packed out the sports hall.

He said: “Some of these children really look up to the Fleetwood players as role models and examples to them and they were really excited.

“It was fantastic.

“We have a great working relationship with the club.

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“I think it can work both ways we can help promote the fan-base for the club and increase numbers and get the young people interested in the club and they have helped us in lots of ways promoting aspirations, mentoring students and coaching students.

“It is a two-way process really.”

Another youngster Sophie Rushton, 13, was one of many youngsters who had been looking forward to meeting the duo. She said: “It was good and interesting to know more about Fleetwood Town and the players and the manger.

“I’d been looking forward to it. We got to actually speak to them and not just see them on a football pitch.”

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