A FOOTBALL tournament that will kick-off in Kelty this summer will see the winners get the chance to play at Manchester City’s Etihad campus.

The Coalfields Cup is just under 100 days away and will see youngsters aged 11 to 17 compete for the opportunity to represent Game On Scotland in a home international competition against teams from England and Wales.

Organised by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT), it’s being held at Kelty Hearts’ ground, New Central Park, on June 19 with the best two teams going on to represent their country at the campus belonging to Man City, the current English Premier League champions, in July.

Game On is the trust’s sport for change programme and development manager, Sean Laird, said: “We’re delighted to be able to get the much-loved tournament off the ground again after a short hiatus due to the pandemic. For the last 20 years, CRT has championed the role of sport and physical activity within coalfields communities.

“The CRT’s home international tournament provides a once in a lifetime experience for those who qualify as they will be able to play at a world class football facility which many of us only get to see on TV!”

The tournament has been hosted by the CRT for more than 10 years with aim of raising aspirations, building confidence and creating once in a lifetime experiences for young people from coalfield communities across the three countries.

This initiative is only one of Game On Scotland’s core offerings with the aim to improve health and well-being, skills and employment prospects for those from former mining towns and villages.