Energetic up-and-coming footballers from Stamford Bridge have discovered the secret to 'tyreless' running.

The club's Under-8s team are playing with the legend Roadrunner Tyres emblazoned across their shirts after a kit sponsorship deal with the Elvington-based company.

The link-up was arranged by Roadrunner's Chris Bradley, whose son Sam plays in the Stamford Bridge junior side.

Club chairman Mark Newby was delighted to announce the Under-8 side's first sponsorship deal and thanked the company for their input.

Newby added that the youngsters take part in numerous seven-a-side friendly games, on small pitches and with smaller goals, under development directives issued by the Football Association.

"We play small sided games and teams usually bring two teams, an A and a B. The kids get a lot more ball and the goals are smaller.

The FA do not like kids to be playing 11-a-side games until the under-11 stage," said the chairman.

Stamford Bridge Under-8s: Back row, from left: Ray Gilpin (manager), Chris Bradley, of Roadrunner Tyres, Steve Gilpin (coach). Middle from left: Charlie Horsley, Mark Youill, Taylor Graham, Oliver Pimlott, Elliot Newby, Matthew Shipley. Front from left: Oliver Bell, Sam Bradley, Michael Fish, Tim Gilpin, Ben Gilpin.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.