FLEDGLING footballers have kicked-off a scheme to get more youngsters involved in sport outside of school.

Training sessions run by coaches from Chadderton FC Juniors have been going down a storm with pupils at Bare Trees, Burnley Brow, Mills Hill and St Luke’s primary schools.

The gang are now looking forward to a spring soccer festival at The Radclyffe School in Chadderton on April 30.

Chadderton FC Juniors chairman Peter Hamilton said: “It is basically about generating interest among the younger children to attend our soccer school and progress on to our under-sevens and under-eights teams.

“We can put adverts in the paper, we can put flyers around, but the children really get a feel of what we are like by doing the sessions.

“We have probably had more than 60 children come through to join the club. There are also a lot of Asian children coming.”

Chadderton FC Juniors was formed in 1992 and has around 250 children playing in 13 teams from under-sevens to under-16s, plus 30 attending its soccer school at the all-weather pitch at Radclyffe.

The club has just received the FA’s Charter Standard Development Club status, which recognises quality clubs. It has also been asked to run taster sessions for North Chadderton’s feeder primary schools.

“It’s really been an exciting last six months or so for the club,” added Mr Hamilton.

The sessions are part of the High Quality School Club Links initiative set up by the Greater Manchester Sports Partnership.