Scores of young footballers took part in the North London heats of the Under-12s London Estates Cash Cup on Friday, which was held on Whittington Estate in Highgate. N19 Ballers, in the blue bibs, won the round-robin, while Jellot FC, in the neon orange kits, also booked their place in the finals as runners-up

THE kickabout for cash is under way, and youth football teams from across the capital are hoping that goals will land them unforgettable glory and a whopping £1,000 in prize money.

The Under-12s heats of the London Estates Cash Cup concluded on Friday evening at the multi-use games area on Whittington Estate in Highgate.

Among the sides now destined for the grand finals are N19 Ballers, who were crowned champions of north London after remaining unbeaten throughout the crunch round-robin.

They will be joined at next month’s finals, which will be held at Academy Sport in Westminster, by Jellot FC, who bounced back from losing their opening match against N19 Ballers to finish the heat as runners-up.

Another squad hoping to bag the big bucks is The Nobodys. The group of friends, who practise together at Highgate Newtown Community Centre, “showed great initiative” to plot their path to the finals.

Repeating a tactic that led to them winning the Under-10s age group last summer and a grand to share among their players, the triumphant team conquered the east London heats after tackling a trek across the capital.

Referee Charlie Browne has warned about the cost of a blue card, which can see a player forced to leave the pitch for between one and five minutes

Charlie Browne, who runs 2 Touch Rulz (2TR) Football, which organises the event, explained: “The tournament is still very much in its infancy; this is only the third time we’ve held it. It takes time to get the message out there, and we don’t always manage to max out every age group.

“For example, we have struggled to attract players in east London, so we had fewer teams in those heats, which made it a little easier to win.”

Insisting that teams enjoying the ultimate away day is better than being left with empty pitches, Charlie added: “Last year The Nobodys and our Under-16s winners, Khan FC, both lost their local heats but managed to win elsewhere to get to the finals – and look what happened, they walked away with the cash.

“I think it shows great initiative. If you can find more than one way to reach the finals and maybe win some money, why not take advantage? It shows real desire, and taking the opportunity to see other parts of London is a valuable experience.”

There is another way that sides can improve their chances of success: avoid being shown a blue card.

If a player is caught breaking the rules, for example, by denying a clear goalscoring opportunity with their hand or showing dissent in any way, they could find themselves sidelined for anything from one to five minutes.

“Sport should embody discipline, and a blue card is just a facet of that,” said Charlie.

“The two-touch method that we use is a way of teaching young kids vital life lessons, like the importance of working together to achieve your goals.

“It’s also important to teach them about responsibility. If you get shown a blue card, you are leaving your team with just three players and directly affecting you and your teammates’ chances of winning.

“That’s a message that transcends football. If you mess around in school, again, it doesn’t just affect you – it affects your classmates, too; or if you are out on the streets causing trouble or damaging property, that’s anti-social behaviour and is directly affecting your community.

“By using the passion and power of football, we want young players to think about their actions and how they directly impact the people around them.

“It’s important that they understand that they are part of a team both on and off the pitch.”

There’s still time for teams to sign up for heats

THE London Estates Cash Cup is back – bringing with it the chance for triumphant footballers to score £1,000 to share with their teammates.

The popular four-a-side tournament is free to enter, with heats being played across the capital over the next two weeks ahead of the grand finals, which will be held in Westminster next month.

The Under-12s and Under-14s heats have now finished, but there’s still time for new teams to enter the Under-16s and the Under-18s age groups, while there’s also an Under-12s girls-only tournament being held on July 8.

Teams must have a minimum of five players to take part.

Organiser Charlie Browne, who lives in Holloway, Islington, said: “We have heats being held in north, east, south and west London and we can fit up to eight teams into each heat, but spaces are filling up fast so teams better act fast!”

• To take part in the Estates Cash Cup visit www.2trfootball.com to register.