TANKERTON Under Eights arrived home still very excited after acting as player-escorts to Chelsea in the Community Shield 2-1 defeat by Liverpool at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.

It may have been just a pre-season friendly for Jose Mourinho, but the official curtain-raiser to the new Premiership campaign was everything to the boys and girls who play in the Faversham Friendly League.

The weekend was the prize in a competition for grassroots teams organised by the London Evening Standard in conjunction with McDonalds, won by coach Tim Elgar.

Civil servant Tim’s winning 50 word nomination which caught the judges eye read: "Last season they lost every game letting in over 160 goals. They also lost the bottom clubs’ play-off final.

"But they are super kids, uncomplaining, football mad, and they come back every week full of enthusiasm. They deserve to win something, let it be this!"

* SEE THE WHITSTABLE GAZETTE FOR THE FULL STORY.