Half-term trip to strengthen China links

Sheffield United's Chinese football team – the Chengdu Blades – are playing an important role in building relationships between the sister cities and the sporting links have enabled Sheffield's Silverdale School, a specialist language college, to twin with one of Chengdu's best schools, Number 7 High School.

Now pupils and teachers from both schools are due to bridge the global gap when they meet up during an eight-day language and football-themed visit from Friday to November 1.

The most exciting part of the trip for both English and Chinese youngsters will be the Chengdu Blades' final game of the season against Hubei on October 30, an event celebrating the Blades' promotion to the Super League.

The 14 and 15-year-olds will also spend their time in China taking part in sporting activities with students from their Chinese partner school, brushing up on their linguistic skills and visiting China's best tourist attractions.

The Silverdale School party of nine year 10 pupils and two teachers will stay at the state-of-the-art Chengdu Blades Academy, in the Shuangliu area of Chengdu.

The academy has six full-sized football pitches, a gymnasium and classrooms to provide the next generation of Chinese footballers with a professional environment to develop their skills on and off the pitch.