Tweedmouth Rangers U13s take part in tournament at Elland Road in Leeds

Tweedmouth Rangers' u13 team in the dressing room at Elland Road. Picture: Tweedmouth Rangers U13s

The club organised a variety of fundraising events to ensure the young players could have the ‘experience of a lifetime’.

The team played in the U13/14 competition against seven other teams, coming sixth.

One of the coaches, Corey Johnston said although the results didn’t go the way they would have liked over the four games the team played, he was very proud of the players as more than half of them should be playing at U12 level.

He said: “It wasn’t the most successful results-wise, but they held their own and very did well with things such as keeping their defensive line.”

All the boys who travelled to Leeds played in the tournament, which gave them a taste of life as a professional footballer, with VIP treatment on and off the pitch.

They had a tour of the changing rooms and their names were announced over the Tannoy system as they walked out on to the Elland Road pitch.

Professional photographers were there to catch the teams in action during the weekend.

Johnston said: “They know a career as a professional footballer isn’t likely, but it was great for them to get a taste of the Premier League, even though Leeds have been relegated, and it was really good for them to have that experience.”

The squad travelled to Yorkshire in the Tweedmouth Rangers minibus, and stopped off on the way back at the Metrocentre for a fun day at the amusements and bowling, followed by a visit to a Toby Carvery.

Johnston said: “It was an experience of a lifetime for the boys and it was great to be a part of it.”

The squad would like to thank Kevin Dixon, Janice Thompson and Joanne Knox for organising the trip, the parents for supporting the players and coaches both on and off the pitch, and Iain Knox and Martyn Burgon for their help pitchside during the tournament.

Tweedmouth Rangers’ junior set-up has now moved to Berwick Rangers Community Academy and will play for them next season, with Johnston saying their main proviso before the switch was that all the boys played together in the same team.