Published at 13:18, Sunday, 09 September 2012

A SQUAD of aspiring junior footballers have spent their first two-and-a-half years as a team playing in hand-me-down strips.

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So there could hardly have been more deserving winners of the Evening Mail’s Kitted Out competition than Furness Cavaliers under-nines Whites.

Sensing the opportunity to win a free Nike kit courtesy of the Evening Mail and Barrow firm Identity, coaches and parents connected to junior teams collected tokens printed in the newspaper over the summer holidays.

And when the window slammed shut at 5pm on Wednesday, it was the young Cavs who claimed the prize with a whopping 14,342 tokens.

Holker Old Boys under-nines were runners up with 12,391.

Scott Johnston, of Roose Road, Barrow, who coaches the young Cavs eight-a-side team with John Smith, said: “I got the parents to collect them, everyone from work – everyone was getting them for me.

“My wife and me, every time we got 100, we put them in a big bag. So we had a rough idea of how many we were getting. We haven’t had our own kit for the two-and-a-half years we’ve been going, so that’s why we were desperate to win. With the economic climate as it is, I’ve been struggling to get a sponsor.

“We’ve only had hand-me-downs from the older teams, so we’re over the moon. The kids will be made up.”

Mr Johnston’s young charges were to start their new season against Ulverston Rangers today.

Their new sky blue and white strip was not ready in time, but the players were raring to go for the new campaign.

Mr Johnston said: “They’re only nine – it’s all about development and trying to encourage football skills.

“They’re a keen and enthusiastic group and we’ve all been together for two-and-a-half years.”

North-West Evening Mail Deputy Editor, James Higgins, said: “What a fantastic response our Kitted Out competition attracted. Congratulations to Furness Cavaliers – and well done Holker Old Boys who came in second but sadly miss out on the kit.

“It’s great to know a team of youngsters engaged in positive – and healthy – activity will be stepping out in a new kit for the season.

“Kitted Out will be back in the spring for our rugby teams – then next summer for our football teams once again.”

Stuart Groundwater, of Identity, said: “Identity has been proud to supply the team wear for this competition which has given our community’s teams a chance to get a real pro kit.

“We have a large range of suppliers to suit many budgets, like Nike, Stanno, Prostar, Jacko, Joma and more big brands coming soon.”

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk