A TRIUMPHANT Under-13s football team got the star treatment after losing just once in two seasons.

To mark their amazing run the lads were given an tour on an open topped bus as friends and family lined the streets. Coach Rob Draper decided arrange the type of victory parade, normally reserved for Premiership stars, for the boys of Walbottle Campus school, Newcastle, after winning a national tournament.

Youngsters waved proudly as the bus snaked its way from the school to Newburn leisure centre, taking halfan- hour to complete its route.

Striker Dennis Knight, 13, scored his fifth hat-trick of the season during the final to secure the 3-2 victory over Glynn Technology College from Surrey at the Ricoh Stadium, home to Coventry City Football Club.

Mr Draper, who has been a PE teacher at the school for the past four years, said: "When we first saw this group of players train when they joined the school we thought they were something special.

"In school football you get what you're given so, in a sense, we have been very lucky with this team. Six players represent academy teams, one at Sunderland and the other five at Newcastle.

"We don't train together because all of the lads are so involved in other teams and play football so much. But when they get together, normally playing 4-5-1, they get on with it and play really well."

Mr Draper said the one and only time the team have been defeated was in the county cup final when they were Under-12s. The defeat meant they were not entered into the Minute Maid national schools cup last season.

Despite the defeat, though, it was then he told them they were destined for great things. And he has been proved correct.

He said: "When we lost I said to the lads that I thought they were the best team in the country and, given the chance again, they would prove it and they have.

"They had some hard matches through the competition but the final was definitely the most difficult for us.

They were a good team, but I think we deserved it in the end."

During the several rounds, semifinals and regional finals of the competition the Walbottle boys have played at Premiership club Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium and Darlington FC's 96.6TFM Darlington Arena.

Captain Ben Sayer, 13, of Westerhope, Newcastle, who plays central midfield for both Walbottle and the Newcastle United academy, and who says his favourite player was Sunderland manager Roy Keane, said: "It was a great feeling when we won and it was a great stadium to do it in.

"I was nervous before the game, I think everyone was, but once we got on the field we all relaxed a little and started playing football the way we know we can, which was great.

"They were a good team. It was probably the toughest game we had but I think we deserved to win in the end. It's class to think I am the captain of the best team in the country."

Four coach loads of supporters travelled to Coventry to support the team.