HUNDREDS of young Southampton footballers laced up their boots for a mass annual football tournament at the weekend.

Oakwood Youth FC hosted the two-day spectacular with 56 teams from ages ranging between under 7s and under 12s.

Five hundred players took to the pitch with a crowd of more than a 1,000 people supporting the event.

The tournament, which is in its third year, was also given a boost after Southampton McDonald’s franchisee Bryan Rupping sponsored the event at Southampton Solent University’s sports ground on Lower Brownhill Road.

Chairman of Oakwood Youth FC, Richard Stapleton, said: “It has gone superbly well. It has been a complete success with some fantastic football.

“The tournament is getting bigger and better and this year has been the best one so far.

Oakwood Youth FC, based at Southampton Solent University’s sports facilities, is an FA chartered club that has more than 20 teams in various local leagues, with a roster of more than 300 players playing each week.

Bryan has been sponsoring the club for the past three years, donating training equipment and kits to the teams.