Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Fun in the sun for youngsters
Youth football
Hundreds of young footballers from across the county descended on the Abbey School on Sunday for Faversham Strike Force’s annual tournament.
Teams from all corners of Kent entered sides – including Strike Force and neighbours Faversham Town.
It was Beckenham’s Club Langley Juniors who took most honours, providing the winners in the under-7s, under-8s and under-9s, along with the beaten finalists in two of those categories.
Rusthall, from Tunbridge Wells, were victorious in the under-10s and 12s, while Maidstone United were the winners in the under-13s.
Sittingbourne’s ‘Young Brickies’ made the most of their short trip by winning the under-11s and their under-12s provided the runners-up in their age group.
A small army of volunteers were responsible for preparing and running the tournament across the weekend and club manager Gary Axford paid tribute to their efforts.
He said: “Volunteers are the lifeblood of junior football and this was a true team effort.
“I’m grateful to everyone who helped out as this tournament is a vital way of raising revenue for the club, along with enhancing the reputation of Strike Force.
“The quality of football in all age categories was exceptionally high and this was a fantastic learning experience for our teams.
“The matches were played in the right spirit and it was great to see youngsters enjoying their football.”