AT their monthly meeting on Sunday every team in the Mercian Festival Junior Football League was given a football, by the league management committee.

League chairman George Silverman said: "We finished up with 141 teams starting the season and following last season's excellent balance sheet, and as we are not a profit-making organisation, we felt that we should give some thing back to the clubs.

"This is not the first time this has happened. Previously, in addition to footballs, clubs have also received first aid kits, ball nets and ball pumps."