THE Royston Crow Youth League kicks off on Sunday, and once again will provide competitive football for more than 5,000 children in a 25-mile radius of Royston. A record number of 227 11-a-side teams will compete in seven age groups from under-11 upwards,

THE Royston Crow Youth League kicks off on Sunday, and once again will provide competitive football for more than 5,000 children in a 25-mile radius of Royston.

A record number of 227 11-a-side teams will compete in seven age groups from under-11 upwards, with all of the age-groups up to and including under-16 having at least two divisions to ensure that teams get to play against other sides of the same standard.

In addition there are a further 221 teams playing mini-soccer at under-seven, eight, nine and ten levels, with the action starting 24 hours earlier

When the league started in 1971, it had just a handful of member clubs, and no one could have envisaged that it would become the biggest youth league in Hertfordshire.

In recent years the league had developed a close relationship with Royston Town FC, who play host to all of the league's 11-a-side cup finals.

All the 11-a-side finals take place between two consecutive Sundays at the end of April and early May, with the under-17 and 18 final likely to be played under the Garden Walk floodlights.

All the teams are invited to send reports from the weekend's action by 9am on a Tuesday to the sports desk at The Crow: Heath House, Princes Mews, Royston, Herts, SG8 9RT. Fax: 01763 242231 or email sport@royston-crow.co.uk