Last updated 12:08, Wednesday, 16 July 2008

Cumbria's biggest youth football league is continuing to expand, with more than 3,000 kids set to take part in it next season.

A total of 174 teams have officially registered to play in the Carlisle Glass Youth Football League for the 2008-09 campaign, which kicks off next month.

That is a rise of nine on last season and includes boys and girls teams from under-eights to under-18s from all over north Cumbria.

Enjoyment is the key word but many of the league’s youngsters are still chasing the dream of becoming the next home-grown talent to play for Carlisle United.

Matt Jansen and Rory Delap are among the league’s old boys from the days before Carlisle Glass were its sponsors who have gone on to represent The Blues and then progress to the top of English football - the Premier League.

The link from junior matches on local parks pitches to a career as a professional footballer with Carlisle United has an extra special meaning to Steven Pattison, who is now a joint owner of both Carlisle Glass and Carlisle United after this month’s takeover at Brunton Park.

Steven said: “It is great to see the Carlisle Glass league going from strength to strength. I’d like to thank everyone - coaches and officials as well as players and parents - who plays a part in helping any of the teams compete in it. They do a marvellous job and are the real heroes.

“Of course it would be great to see some more of the league’s young players go on into our Centre of Excellence at Carlisle United. The club picks up a lot of youngsters from the Carlisle Glass league and has two scouts watching games every weekend.

“The league has been an excellent breeding ground for the club and is continuing to produce good young players by providing competition for them. Long may that continue.”

The league held its AGM at Foxy’s restaurant at Brunton Park on the same day that Steven was announced as one of four new owners for Carlisle United, along with Andrew Jenkins, John Nixon and David Allen.

Steven added: “It would be great if the league could help produce a team of Cumbrians for Carlisle United.

“As a proud Cumbrian myself, I can remember us having the bulk of our team made up of home-grown lads for some games in the 90s.

“We lost our way with the youth set-up at Carlisle United after that but are now right back on track and have started to produce some really talented youngsters.

“Hopefully, some more will be coming out of the Carlisle Glass league over the next few years.”

For the record, seven Cumbrians played for the Blues in a 0-0 draw at home to Wycombe on January 31, 1998.

They were Tony Caig, Jeff Thorpe, Richard Prokas, Will Varty, Scott Dobie, who came on as a substitute, Jansen and Delap, who was born in Sutton Coldfield grew up in Cumbria, where his family still live.

Other Cumbrians to have played for Carlisle in recent years include Darren Edmondson, Lee Peacock (born in Scotland but raised in west Cumbria), Paul Murray, Lee Andrews, Glenn Murray and Paul Simpson (see below for Cumbrian select XI).

Carlisle United Cumbrian Select XI: Caig, Delap, Edmondson, Varty, Thorpe, Prokas, P Murray, Simpson, Jansen, Dobie, Peacock.