A new football tournament kicked off last week for Year 7 pupils at schools in the Lewisham borough.

Titled the Mayor's Cup, it is being run as part of Millwall Football Club's community scheme and has both boys and girls participating.

Matches will take place on Wednesdays from 4.30-6.30pm.

The boys will play an 11-a-side tournament outdoors at Ladywell Arena, with eight teams split into two groups on a league basis.

Games will be of two 30-minute halves and each team will play the other twice.

The top two teams in each then advance to the semi-finals, when it will become a knockout event.

In group A are Bonus Pastor, Crofton, St Joseph's Academy and Sedgehill, while group B comprises Northbrook, Forest Hill, Malory and Addey & Stanhope.

The girls will play five-a-side games indoors on Wednesdays at St Dunstans College.

This is a league of seven all playing each other three times and games will be eight minutes each-way.

They are Northbrook, Catford Girls, Bonus Pastor, Sedgehill, Addey & Stanhope, Malory and Prendergast.

The top four will advance to the knockout-style semi-finals.

Millwall are providing referees and there will be special "Fair Play" awards at the end of the competition.

In last week's opening games, Forest Hill boys thrashed Northbrook 13-1, while in the girls league, Sedgehill defeated Catford 2-0 and 5-3 in their back-to-back games.

Parents and spectators are welcome at either venue. Call Steve Baker at the Millwall Community Scheme on 020 7740 0503 for more details.

November 27, 2001 12:28