A TEAM of disadvantaged young people from Swindon have won the chance to play at England’s training headquarters following their success at the StreetGames Football Pools Fives tournament recently.

The team, named Team Futbol, saw off some stiff competition in the regional final at Futsal UK in Swindon to come out on top.

They will now represent the South Central region of England at St George’s Park in September.

The StreetGames Football Pools Fives takes five-a-side football to some of the hardest to reach communities in the UK and gives young men and women the chance to experience volunteering, coaching and trying a range of other sports.

Team Futbol captain Lee Toomey, who qualified for the national finals with a different team last year before getting together his new squad, was delighted to book a place at the national finals once again.

He said: “It was really great to win the competition and it is mind blowing to think that we are going to play at St George’s Park. The competition was a real rollercoaster and any number of teams could have won it so it really does mean a lot to come through.”

Jane Ashworth, chief executive of StreetGames, said: “Well done to Team Futbol for coming through against some excellent competition to book their place at the national final. We look forward to hosting them at St George’s Park in what we are sure is going to be an excellent occasion for the StreetGames Football Pools Fives.”

The StreetGames Football Pools Fives is now in its second year, having launched in 2013 with a hugely successful inaugural season that travelled across 12 cities in the UK, and reached over 13,000 young people, before 16 teams and 160 competitors reached the National Final at St George’s Park.

Another 12 regional festivals are being held across the country again this year where Team Futbol will be facing the best competitors from around the UK when they head to this year’s National Final.