YOUTH FOOTBALL: HUNDREDS of junior players enjoyed a football feast at Devizes Town FC on Sunday as the Wiltshire FA staged their second annual mini-soccer festival.

Around 550 youngsters aged between seven and 11 took part in the event, with the emphasis placed firmly on fun .

Teams played on a round-robin basis and all players received a medal, certificate and Wiltshire FA pen for taking part. Wiltshire FA's football development officer Barry Stephens felt the festival was a resounding success.

He said: "A lot of people came up to us and said how much they enjoyed it at the end. It is all about children enjoying themselves in a fun atmosphere. Every game is played to win, but without the ultimate win at all costs mentality.

"Rolling substitutions are allowed so teams are allowed to field their whole squad."

The festival, at Nursteed Road and Southbroom Primary School, was attended by junior teams from across the county. The U7s and U8s played five-a-side football, while their U9s and U10s counterparts played seven-a-side.

Said Stephens: "An immense amount of work went into organising the festival, but seeing the good turnout and all of the fun and enjoyment made it all worthwhile. The co-operation we had from everyone, like Devizes Town and Southbroom Primary School, was immense. That was the second time we've done it and we'll definitely hold another one next year."

The Wiltshire FA were at the forefront of the mini-soccer revolution five years ago and more than 3,000 children under the age of ten in the county participate every weekend. Stephens said: "Pro-rata, we have one of the highest levels of participation in the country."