WORCESTER City have been honoured by the Football Association with staging a representative match in the New Year.

St George's Lane will play host to a contest between an FA XI and the Combined Services on Monday, January 10, kick-off 7.45pm.

The FA side is likely to include the cream of non-league soccer talent in the Midlands.

City manager Graham Allner said: "They use a series of FA representative games as trials for the England semi-professional team, and this is one of them.

"It will be used to put on show players that John Owens (England's manager) will be looking at for the England team.

"You will be looking in the main at the best non-league players in the area, plus any that, for whatever reason, haven't played in other FA games that he wants to have a look at.

"Certainly it is an honour for the club, and it is recognition by the FA. It should be a good game to watch."

Allner is no stranger to such games, having managed FA teams in the past and been part of the England set-up.

He managed the team the last time Worcester staged such a game in the early 1990s, when former City defender Mark Shail -- then with Yeovil and now at Bristol City -- was in the side.

Although the players selected are in the main from the Nationwide Conference, players from lower leagues often get their chance which could give City players a chance to add some local interest.

"If we can get any recognition for our players that will be an added bonus," added Allner, "but that will be down to John Owens."

City almost had the honour of staging a full international against Wales at the end of last season.

Allner added: "They offered us the game but unfortunately contractors were booked in to work on the pitch the week before that.

"We looked at it and tried to do something but in the end we couldn't and it went to St Albans instead."

Worcester have no first-team game this weekend, with their scheduled opponents Merthyr Tydfil involved in the first round of the FA Cup.

City's next league game is at Crawley Town on Saturday week (November 6).

YThursday, October 28, 1999.