St Albans City Youth U9s ‘absolutely smashed it’ on Saturday when they were crowned winners of the prestigious Hatters Cup event, the UK’s annual biggest youth football tournament held at Luton Town Football Club’s stadium.

Parents and team coaches were treated to a weekend of football mad youngsters playing their hearts out in five-a-side games in the knock-out competition that featured over 144 teams from Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

This year, renowned Dunstable based, kitchen manufacturer, County and Kitchens2GO, sponsored The Hatters Cup Tournament. School and club teams, aged from Under 6s to Under 12s, competed against each other to win the coveted trophies on offer.

Graham Bourne, managing director and founder of County Kitchens and K2GO, the tournament sponsors, said: “It was a great weekend of football and there was so much enthusiasm and enjoyment, on and off the pitches, it was a true pleasure and honour to be able to sponsor the event at Kenilworth Road. It provided fantastic entertainment to players, spectators and sponsor too.”

“While I’m long past my days of playing football, I think this tournament demonstrated and confirmed the influence of sport in every child’s life. The smiles on the kids’ faces and the buzz of excitement around the ground, combined to make the whole weekend such a wonderful event to sponsor”.

“The St Albans team were outstanding and despite fierce competition from the other teams, they deserved to win the U9 age-group.”