Tesco Cup
The Tesco Cup is an association football competition for young footballers ran in the United Kingdom and sponsored by the retail group TESCO. There are currently three separate tournaments running, a boys' Under 13, a girls' Under 14 and a girls' Under 16. Any team can compete as long as they are affiliated with their County Football Association who are offered a 'grassroots grant' by TESCO to run the tournaments. In each country the progress to the final stages of the tournament are different:
- England - County Cup (i.e. Birmingham County Football Association) winners compete in the Regional Cup (i.e. West Midlands). Those winners compete in the English national finals the winners of which go to the UK Finals.
- Wales - Area Cup (i.e. North Wales) winners meet in the national finals and the winners of that go to the UK Finals.
- Scotland - They have their own separate national competitions, the winners of which meet the teams from the other countries for the UK Tesco Cup Finals.
- Northern Ireland - They have their own separate national competitions, the winners of which meet the teams from the other countries for the UK Tesco Cup Finals.
The boys' tournament has now completed six seasons after kicking off in 2005 and both the girl's competitions have held four finals after beginning at the start of the 2007/08 season. In the 2007/08 season 35 English County FA's (37 for the boys) and 6 Welsh County FA's competed. The 2008/09 competition helped raise £180,000 for grassroots football. The 2010/11 UK final took place at St Andrews home of Birmingham City FC Where Staplehurst beat Ysceifiog wolves narrowly on penalties. After the match had finished 1-1, on 22 May 2011. having been staged at the Reebok Stadium home of Bolton Wanderers FC and the City of Manchester Stadium home of Manchester City FC in previous years.
Winners
- Boys Under 13s
2005/06 - Hutchinson Vale (Scotland)
2006/07 - Harpfield FC (Staffordshire, England)
2007/08 - Linfield FC (Northern Ireland)
2008/09 - Stokesley FC (England)
2009/10 - Linfield FC (Northern Ireland)
2010/11 - Staplehurst Monarchs (England)
- Girls Under 14
2007/08 - Northern Belles (Northern Ireland)
2008/09 - Manchester City L.F.C. (England)
2009/10 - Newry Girls (Northern Ireland)
2010/11 - Hibernians (Scotland)
- Girls Under 16
2007/08 - Hibernians (Scotland)
2008/09 - Manchester United Girls (England)
2009/10 - West Ham United L.F.C. (England)
2010/11 - Manchester City L.F.C. (England)