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Thursday 16 Mar 2006

PHOTOCALL: FOOTBALL FANS GIVE RAILWAY CRIME THE RED CARD

Region & Route:

| Southern

Date:                           18 March 2006 Time:                          1.30pm – 2pm Location:                    Causeway Stadium car park, Hilbottom Road, High Wycombe Event:                         A range of football activities for young people to promote Network Rail’s campaign to tackle railway crime Media contact:          Stuart Buss 020 7904 4282 / 07799 337367 Network Rail will be joining forces with Wycombe Wanderers Football Club this weekend to help kick railway crime into touch. Wycombe’s match with Torquay United on Saturday 18 March is being sponsored by Network Rail’s No Messin’! campaign – a safety initiative aimed at educating young people about the dangers of playing on the railway. Network Rail’s Route Director Peter Strachan said: “Every year hundreds of people risk their lives by trespassing on the railway and unfortunately Wycombe is a real problem area. The No Messin’! campaign is a great way for us to encourage young people to get involved in healthy activities, such as football, instead of risking their lives on the railway. I hope that everyone enjoys the game and will join us in our fight against railway crime by passing on the No Messin’! message to their family and friends.” Some 2000 free match tickets have been given out to local children and there will be reduced-price family tickets available. A special No Messin’! marquee outside the ground will host a penalty shoot-out competition giving young football fans the chance to win No Messin’! prizes including t-shirts and kit bags. Football ‘Freestyler’ Colin Nell will also be on hand to entertain the crowds with his array of football tricks. Both teams will be training in No Messin’! tops prior to kick off and the matchday programme will also include a page outlining the dangers of railway crime.