Soccer-mad youngsters from throughout south-East Essex learned to play the West Ham way on a top football coaching course during the Easter Holidays.

Around 140 enthusiasts aged six to 16 attended the East London Premiership club's Community Department course at James Hornsby School, Basildon.

None were keener than nine-year-old Reece Ellis who, after winning an Echosport competition to join the course free of charge, performed so well that he collected the player of the week prize for his age group.

Reece, part of a mad-keen family of Irons supporters, lives in Archer Avenue, Southend.

Community football project officer Steve Tapley said: "He was a really nice lad whose enthusiasm and ability made him really stand out in my group. He fully deserved his award."

During the course youngsters received top coaching tips in the morning and played an FA Cup competition in the afternoons.

They finished up with the final of the Cup plus a penalty shoot-out on the last afternoon and also collected their rewards for their endeavours at the presentation.

Tapley said: "We were really lucky with the weather for this time of the year. It was superb. "We're looked after tremendously well at James Hornsby.

"We get fantastic co-operation there and the facilities are superb. They couldn't be more helpful."

"We were all very impressed with the enthusiasm and skill shown on the Basildon course. The general level of play was of a very high standard."

Published Tuesday, April 9, 2002