HUNDREDS of people descended on the home of Darlington Football Club yesterday for a packed programme of sporting entertainment.

The Northern Echo Soccer Six tournament saw dozens of youngsters from across the region taking their chance to perform on the big stage.

They battled it out in glorious sunshine at the Darlington Football Stadium, as family and friends roared on their every pass, run and shot.

Twenty-eight teams started the competition, sponsored by Arngrove Group Holdings Limited, before being narrowed down to eight finalists who battled it out in the 25,000-capacity arena, in a series of keenly-fought matches lasting through the morning and into the early afternoon.

Darlington Spraire Lads Under-12s - the holders of the 2005 Newcastle United Football in the Community trophy - were victorious in the final of their category, defeating Hartlepool Warriors.

The under-14s section came to a dramatic conclusion, with the Yarm Town A team prevailing in a penalty shoot-out against Monkton Juniors.

The team added the success to its recent league triumphs - Yarm has won the Teesside Junior Football Alliance Division One title for the past three seasons.

To the strains of David Bowie's Heroes and Tina Turner's Simply the Best, former Darlington captain Craig Liddle presented the youngsters with their medals.

The teams competing in the event were Darlington Spraire Lads Under-12s, Darlington Spraire Lads Under-11s, Darlington 21st Allstars, Hartlepool Warriors, Monkton Juniors, Darlington Albion and the Yarm Town A and B sides.

The action was followed by a trip down memory lane for spectators, as some of the region's football legends donned their kit once again to take on a celebrity XI.

The likes of Gary Bennett, Mick Tait and Mickey Horswill took to the turf for what proved to be an entertaining battle.

From the moment the stars of Sky One football drama Dream Team combined for the opening goal, the game was an open, end-to-end clash.