A GROUP of teenagers who started to play roller hockey on Prestwich waste ground have roared to success by winning the Bury Metro Roller Hockey League.

After playing the game for four years, members of Prestwich Lions Roller Hockey Team finally got their skates on and decided it was about time they won the accolade.

Manager Mr Eddie Potts, who is handing over the leadership role to fellow parent Mr Tony Cleary, said: "For the first three years the team finished fourth or fifth in the league, but this last season an all-out effort was made to win the title."

Eddie, whose son Rick is joint captain of the Lions, said the lads decided at the beginning of the season that this was going to be their year.

He added: "In the early days it was just a few boys who got together to play on an industrial estate off George Street. "Then they simply wanted to play roller hockey.

"But every year they got better and better and this is their reward after fighting long and hard for what they wanted."

The team struggled at first with funding and equipment but the turning point came when the local charity Prestwich Lions agreed to buy them new shirts.

As a thank-you they changed their name from the Prestwich Raptors and have never looked back.

The award was presented to the team at a ceremony at Radcliffe Civic Suite and, after telling their sponsors of the good news, the roller hockey players received a "well done" cheque for £100 from the Prestwich Lions Club.

Eddie said: "Without the help of money raised by the Lions throughout the year small groups like ours would not be able to buy new equipment.

"We want to thank the Lions for their support and everyone else who has been involved in our success."

Many of the original players have now reached the age of 18 which means they have to leave the team.

The group is hoping to set up a Prestwich Lions senior team but new members for the junior team would be welcome.

If anyone, aged between 14 and 18 years, is interested in taking up roller hockey contact Tony Cleary on 0161 798 7085.