EVENING Press sports reporter Dave Stanford takes an in-depth look at the biggest football tournament to be staged within these shores since the thrills of Euro 96.

York City and Harrogate Town, together with clubs throughout the North East, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, are making the final preparations for the biggest international football tournament to be held on these shores since Euro 96.

The 2001 European Under-16 Championship acts as a showcase for emerging footballing talent from all over Europe.

It is a tournament that allows young players to sample a tournament atmosphere in a variety of top-class stadia and helps to build confidence as they bid to achieve their dream of breaking into the big time.

And over the years the tournament has seen many of its young stars become world greats.

Players such as England quartet David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Sol Campbell and Michael Owen, world record transfer signing Luis Figo, Holland strikeforce leader Patrick Kluivert and Italian attacking maestro Francesco Totti have all strutted their stuff on the Under-16 stage.

The Championship gets underway tomorrow climaxing with the final on May 6 at Sunderland's Stadium of Light.

In the group stages Bootham Crescent will host Holland against Poland on April 25 and Russia versus Holland on April 27.

It will also stage one of the tournament's quarter-final encounters.

Harrogate Town's Wetherby Road base will host Italy versus Hungary on April 24 and France against Croatia the following evening.

Tickets cost £3 adults and £1 Under-16s. Accompanied juniors will be able to attend games free of charge.

York City will be offering free admission to schools, junior football clubs and other youth organisations for their group matches, but tickets must be obtained in advance by contacting the club's ticket office tel 01904 624447, extension 1.

The teams who have qualified are as follows:

Group 'A' - Romania, Spain, Germany, Belgium

Group 'B' - Netherlands, Turkey, Poland, Russia

Group 'C' - England, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary

Group 'D' - France, Scotland, Croatia, Finland

The grounds that will be used in the competition are:

Group 'A' - Darlington FC, Durham City AFC

Group 'B' - Hull City FC, South Leeds Stadium, York City FC

Group 'C' - Halifax Town FC, Harrogate FC, Huddersfield Town FC, South Leeds Stadium

Group 'D' - Barnsley FC, Grimsby Town FC, Harrogate Town FC, Lincoln City FC, Scunthorpe Utd FC.

As well as hosting three matches, York will also be the host city for the four teams in group 'B' of Holland, Turkey, Poland and Russia.

The teams from France, Scotland, Croatia and Finland will stay in Doncaster during the group stages, while Leeds will play host to England, Italy, Switzerland and Hungary.

The remaining four qualifiers of Romania, Spain, Germany, Belgium will be based in Durham.

THE England Under-16s have provided an important breeding ground for a host of star Premiership players.

They include: 1999/00: Jermaine Pennant (Arsenal); 1998/99: Jermain Defoe (West Ham); 1997/98: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Joe Cole (West Ham); 1996/97: Francis Jeffers (Everton), Alan Smith (Leeds); 1995/96: Michael Ball (Everton), Wes Brown (Man Utd), Jon Harley (Chelsea), Steve Gerrard, Michael Owen (both Liverpool); 1994/95: Jody Morris (Chelsea); 1993/94: Jamie Carragher, Emile Heskey (both Liverpool), Richard Wright (Ipswich Town); 1992/93: Phil Neville (Man Utd); 1990/91 Sol Campbell (Tottenham); 1989/90: Nick Barmby (Liverpool); 1988/89: Trevor Sinclair (West Ham); 1987/89: Andy Cole (Man Utd), Ian Walker (Tottenham); 1983/84: Tony Adams (Arsenal), Tim Flowers (Leicester City).

The first European Under-16 championships took place in 1982 in Italy and since 1984 the tournament has been played annually.

England qualified for the group stage in last year's event in Israel but failed to reach the quarter-finals.

England's best performance was in 1984 in Germany when they defeated Yugoslavia 1-0 in the third place play-off after losing 2-0 to the USSR in the semi-final.

Past finals: 1982 Italy 1 West Germany 0, 1984 West Germany 2 Russia 0, 1985 USSR 4 Greece 0, 1986 Spain 2 Italy 1, 1987 Italy 1 USSR 0, 1988 Spain 0 Portugal 0 (Spain won 5-4 on pens), 1989 Portugal 4 East Germany 1, 1990 Czechoslovakia 3 Yugoslavia 2, 1991 Spain 2 Germany 0, 1992 Germany 2 Spain 1, 1993 Poland 1 Italy 0, 1994 Turkey 1 Denmark 0, 1995 Portugal 2 Spain 0, 1996 Portugal 1 France 0, 1997 Spain 0 Austria 0 (Spain won 5-4 on penalties), 1998 Ireland 2 Italy 1, 1999 Spain 4 Poland 1, 2000 Portugal 2 Czech Republic 1.

Updated: 11:41 Saturday, April 21, 2001