A coach has helped give a group of estate kids the perfect Christmas present - their own football club.

Moulsecoomb under-16s are up and running after gaining affiliation to the Sussex Sunday Youth League.

The youngsters and those who organise the club have combined to give a positive image to an area that sometimes makes the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Glyn Griffiths, the coach, said: "People are quick to point the finger, and make condemning judgments about Moulsecoomb.

"A few of our players might have got into trouble but when they are with us they are as good as gold and I'm told outside of the club they are staying out of trouble.

"The club has given them a focus. It is also a way of building self esteem. They are worth the trouble.

"All concerned are having a ball as they work through a series of friendlies against teams in readiness for entry into the League next season.

"Teams play us when they have a gap in their fixtures."

Their first match ended in a 7-1 defeat against ASC Strikers at Buckingham Park, Shoreham.

Griffiths said: "We had 11 year olds up to 15 and they were a lot bigger than us but they all seem to enjoy it."

He has a disciplinary code for their weekly training sessions at Sussex University.

"We have an emphasis on encouragement and anyone who gets out of order is given a yellow card. If they get a red card they are banned from next week's training.

"A couple came round begging me to let them off. I didn't but said they could come and watch. When they did I got them to referee."

Griffiths got involved after recently moving into the area.

"I was studying for an FA coaching badge at the university and I had to have 16 hours coaching experience outside of the course to get it.

"A group of youngsters with some adults and a ball walked past our house one day and went up to Wild Park. I followed them and was asked whether I knew anything about reffing.

I said 'well, I can coach a bit'. So they said ' okay you can coach this lot'. Suddenly the kids swarmed around me wanting me to coach them."

The first training session was difficult for Griffiths.

"I roped in my neighbour Tim (Whittington) to assist me. Tim's dad Roger is my boss and his firm Sovereign Instruments donated some bibs and balls to the kids because we didn't have anything like that.

"We've got some more sponsorship through a relative of one of the kids. Mick Bishop runs MB Roofing and moved to Coldean. He's not loaded but doing okay and stumped up £500 to buy them a kit.

"We've also got £1,100 to pay for the hiring of a mini-bus and an all- weather pitch for training, plus rain jackets, from the money the area got under the government's New Deal for troubled areas."

Griffiths is bubbling with enthusiasm.

" The kids are great. They are so straight talking it is refreshing. I'm really enjoying it.

"It is a bit of a crusade for me. My wife Lucy and I always intended to put something back into the community. We don't how far we'll get but at least we are giving the kids a positive outlet."

Gary Dawes, the new skipper, said: "There's not much to do where we live but now I've got my football. It's class!"

The Moulsecoomb squad: Gary Dawes (capt), Ross Smith, Kieron Dawes, Paul Bishop, Craig Green, Jay Hayward, Craig Virgo, Danny Dunk, Sean Godfree, , Casey Simmons, Daniel Dawson, Ashley Bryant, Paul Harvey, Ashley Weller.

BEACON Community College (Crowborough) and Felpham Community College will represent Sussex in the Schoolsnet English Schools Under-16s Cup.

They have qualified by reaching the county final after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over St Andrew's (Worthing), having recovered from 3-1 down in normal time. Paul Wilkins scored his second of the game to reduce the deficit to one following a pass by Sam Evendon after Ben Freeman equalised.

The shoot-out went to nine penalties. Beacon goalkeeper Steve Tipping impressed.

Felpham defeated Blatchington Mill (Hove) 4-1 in the county semi-final.

Josh Ping scored the consolation goal for Blatchington Mill but manager Steve King said: "We were beaten by a better team."

Seaford Community College have qualified for the national schools under-19s finals with a victory over Chichester High.

Cardinal Newman and Durrington High are in the national girls' under-16s finals.

Blatchington Mill have reached the quarter-finals of Sussex Schools' Cups at under-13s, under-14s and under-15s.

Mike Donovan mike.donovan@theargus.co.uk