Thirty-two students have left for Sweden determined to carve the name of Colchester on the European soccer map.

Colchester Sixth Form College have entered two teams for the Gothia World Youth Cup competition in Gothenburg where they will be up against top youth teams from all over the globe.

The students, plus coaches Simon Fusniak, Sean Boyle and former Colchester United skipper Peter Cawley, were due to leave the college on Friday to catch the overnight ferry from Newcastle to Gothenburg where they will spend the next nine days.

They will be among a total of 1,203 teams from 53 nations - including the USA and Zambia - competing in a number of age groups for both boys and girls.

Colchester's A team will play the youth team from Swedish professional club Frolunda, plus German side Union Emlichheim, Latvians FK Varpa and BS Shekane from Saudi Arabia in the under 19 competition.

The B team have been pitched into a group with Hultsfreds (Sweden), Hurricanes (USA) and Torvestad (Norway).

The top two teams in each group will go through to the play-offs, with the third side moving into a plate competition.

Fusniak, director of football at the college, is under no illusions about the size of the task facing them.

"We are not so naive that we expect to win the tournament, but with the players we have there's no reason why we shouldn't qualify for the later stages," he said.

The players are all on A level courses at the North Hill college and some will be awaiting exam results shortly after their return.

And some of them have considerable soccer experience already. Mark Warriner was a trainee with Colchester United while former West Ham youngster Phil Lee is an England Schools triallist.

The college has also proved a good training ground for footballers with a number of graduates going on to play for senior non-league sides in the area.

Summer tours have become something of a tradition at the college. They played in Holland in 1996 and 1997, then went to Barcelona in 1998 and to Italy last year.

But this is the first time they have taken part in such a competitive event, their invitation to compete coming as a result of their success in those other tournaments.

The students themselves have each paid almost £500 to make the trip, although Wivenhoe coach firm Cedrics donated a set of kit and have sponsored the journey to and from Newcastle.

DFDS have also helped out with the cost of ferry travel.

Old head, young talent - former U's skipper Peter Cawley poses for the camera with the rest of the Colchester Sixth Form College squad before their trip to the Gothia World Youth Cup in Sweden.

Picture: NIGEL BROWN

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