The Palmer's College five-a-side football team have been crowned Eastern Region College Champions.

The side will go on to represent the East of England in the British College Championships in Swansea in the spring, after winning out at the regional competition in Redbridge.

The tournament consisted of four groups of five teams with the winners of each group going into the knockout phase.

The side from the college in Chadwell Road, Grays, actually lost their first game to Easton College of Norwich, but went on to defeat the Cambridge Regional side, Luton College and their local rivals from SEEVIC college in Kiln Road, Thundersley.

In the semi-finals Moulton College from Northampton were dispatched, and Bedford College were defeated 4-1 in the final.

The eight players who will represent the region against seven other British teams are: Chris Ansell, Tony Atkins, Michael Canovan, Mark Chapman, Daniel Gisby, Craig Hudson, Lee Shannon and Tom Whitehead.

Coach Paul Spinks said: "Our system, which involved using three substitutes in every game, ensured the whole squad was involved throughout, and in every game the lads produced a first class team performance.

"These are the players who've done the college proud by winning the Regional Championships. "Now they've got to test themselves against the best in Britain when we got to Wales next spring."

Published Monday December 17, 2001