NYTHE Primary School bid for a national title on Saturday.

Their football team have enjoyed considerable success this season in the English Schools Football Association (ESFA) Sainsbury's Under 11 Soccer Sixes.

They are the Swindon and Wiltshire champions and recently finished as runners-up in the South West regional championship in the section for primary schools with under 100 pupils.

Nythe were beaten in the S-West final by Cornish side St Mary's School, Penzance, but still qualified for the national finals as the tournament runners-up.

The national finals of the Sainsbury's English Schools U/11 FA Cup will take place this weekend in Shropshire at the National Sports Centre, Lilleshall.

Former England and Manchester United player Teddy Sheringham has been fronting the tournament and helping children with fitness and nutrition as part of Sainsbury's commitment to healthy eating.

Nythe will face seven other sides in the U/11 under 100 pupils section.

As well as St Mary's C of E, Penzance, they will face opposition from three other regions.

They are South East Region: Cawston Primary, Norfolk and Itchingfield Primary, Suffolk; Midlands Region: Provost Williams, Warwickshire and St Charle's, Measham, Leicestershire; and North Region: St John Bosco, Merseyside and Our Lady of the Rosary, Cumbria.

The teams will be divided into two groups of four and will play all three of the other group members once.

The winner and runner up of each group will go through to the semi-finals.

"The boys are really looking forward to taking part in the finals," said Nythe organiser Debbie Kalynka, "They have been out a couple of times this week and been training hard.

"It is a great achievement for our school to get this far in the competition.

"The team are sure of plenty of support as we will be taking a coach to the game. And of course are trying to fund-raise to pay for it."

The Nythe side shows one change from the one that took part in the S-West regional final with James Evans replacing Steven Winter.

Nythe squad: Luke Rumble, Aaron Palmer, Joshua Ainscow, James Evans, Kris Redford, Lee Willis, George Green, Kevin Campbell.