York Cubs are born to play

Thanks to The Mount School and a grant from the Community Foundation, York Cubs FC - boasting an average age of only seven-years-old - is set to join the York Mitchell Sports League.

York Cubs FC (lions cubs, not cub scouts) was started earlier this year to give boys and girls in the area a chance to learn how to play football. However, without anywhere to play and no funds for kit and equipment, it looked like curtains for the budding Beckhams.

Their prayers were answered when The Mount School stepped in and offered a home ground and training facilities. A grant from the Community Foundation, plus donations from parents, was used to buy essential kit and equipment.

Now the team is raring to go, said chairman David Andrews, who explained how the idea for the club came after a group of parents had spent the best part of a year teaching their own five-year-olds how to kick a ball. As the children improved it seemed obvious they should play together as a team.

The club is intended to benefit the local community and open days at Scarcroft Primary, Poppleton Road and Tregelles produced 15 new players, most of them under six years of age.

The club progressed from strength to strength during the summer, as older brothers joined their siblings to form the Under-10s team and parents began qualifying as FA coaches to help out.

Now with two parents - Graham Reeds and Steve Clipston - already FA qualified, and four more waiting to take the course, plus a retired policeman designated as child protection officer, the club wants to apply for FA Charter Standard as soon as possible.

Added Hamilton: "It cost more than £1,500 last season to run the club and, even though we have applied for a Community Foundation grant, we could not have continued this season without the generous support of The Mount School.

"They provide us with our ground and use of their groundsman so that the pitches are properly marked and looked after."

Updated: 11:41 Wednesday, September 03, 2003