INDOOR bowls enthusiasts are looking forward to a weekend of high-level sport as a North-East club prepares to host the sport's equivalent of the FA Cup.

Darlington Indoor Bowls Club, based on North Road, will welcome teams from across the UK for the final stages of the mens' and ladies' All-England national team championship knockout finals this weekend.

The two day event, known as the Denny cup and the Yetton trophy respectively for the men's and women's competitions, has not been hosted in Darlington since the mid 1990s.

A team from Stanley, County Durham, will contest the mens' final against opponents from Wey Va lley, in Surrey, Desborough, in Berkshire, and We llingborough, in Northamptonshire.

The mens' final will be held on the Saturday, with the ladies' competition the following day.

Ladies' teams from York, Ely, Surrey and Devon will battle it out for the title.

The indoor bowls club, which has dozens of members from veterans to juniors, won Olympic legacy funding last year which enabled it to replace the bowls carpet.

A new electronic scoreboard has also been introduced in time for the competition.

Club co-secretary Graham Peacock said: "We still don't know yet how many people are coming to support each of the teams but hopefully we'll get a good turnout.

"We're also hoping that people from Darlington will come along to watch and find out more about the sport and our club."

The first day of the competition will be opened by the Mayor of Darlington, Councillor Charles Johnson.

* A full preview of the event will feature in tomorrow's Local Heroes supplement.