SINCE the end of the 1999/2000 league season, football has not taken a back seat for the lads at Darlington 21st Allstars FC.

There have been a number of additions to the cub's trophy cabinet and a highly successful trip to Holland for the U12s, U14s and U16s.

Having had a triumphant season in the Richmondshire seven-a-side friendly league, the old season's U10 side scored a well-deserved overall victory in the League Cup competition.

The cup was won with a string of strong performances culminating in a 0-0 draw against Thirsk in the final, with the deciding penalties producing a 2-1 win for Allstars.

Last season's U9s side took part in the Catterick tournament and gained their first-ever major trophy.

After going through the first part of the tournament with three wins and two draws, Allstars went on to beat Darlington Albion on penalties after a hard-fought 0-0 draw in the semi-finals. The final produced an emphatic 3-0 win for Allstars over Bedale.

The 2000/01 season's U12s and U16s travelled to Barnard Castle for the Teesdale Sixes and both came away triumphant.

After a slow start the U12s put some important victories together to gain a place in the quarter-finals. A win on penalties led to an easy semi-final victory.

Full-time in the final against Belle Vue Sports saw a 1-1 score but Allstars held their nerve to win 3-1 on penalties.

Following their triumph, the two teams entered in the oldest age group of the Teesdale Sixes under the banner of the U16s. They gave strong team performances, and one team went out in the quarter-finals.

The other team got through to the final against Weardale, with penalties again deciding the destiny of the trophy. Allstars again came out on top 2-1.

These early successes have led to a high degree of optimism for the Allstars' new season, with pre-season training leading to a start on September 10