18 Oct City of Paris Medal stops by Ulidia Integrated College
The Medal of the City of Paris, Grand Vermeil, was created in 1911 to recognise individuals or groups. It is considered to be Paris’ most prestigious honour and has been presented to a variety of cultural and political figures. Among the names on the roll call are tennis player Rafael Nadal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo awarded the Medal to the Northern Ireland Supporters for their “exemplary sportsmanship” during the EURO 2016 Finals.
Mr Jim Spratt (Mrs Patterson’s dad) was presented with the medal on behalf of the Northern Ireland fans in July 2016. Mr Spratt was chosen to represent Northern Ireland fans in recognition for the hard work and commitment to Northern Ireland football; Mr Spratt is a member of the European fans congress, and of the AONISC committee, as well as President of Saintfield United, and holds positions on many football committees.
Since being presented to the fans of Northern Ireland, the medal has been taken on a tour of Northern Ireland supporter clubs across the province, accompanied by AONISC committee members. On 14th October, Gary McAllister from the AONISC brought the medal to Ulidia. Pupils in sports studies classes welcomed the medal and learnt about the process of organising fan zones to support supporters travelling to events. The learners also enjoyed seeing the medal and having photos taken with it.
Thank you to the AONISC for including Ulidia Intgrated College in the medal tour of Northern Ireland.
