ORGANISERS were thrilled after their first ever pre-season football tournament proved to be a huge success.

The curtain-raiser to the new season attracted senior and junior sides from across East Lancashire while teams from as far as Liverpool and Everton took part in the ladies event.

In fact organisers said that the ladies event attracted so much interest that they could have had a full day's football all to themselves.

The Blackburn and Darwen Council run event tournament, which was held at Blacksnape playing fields in Darwen, was split into six categories with a total of 36 teams taking part in the men's seniors, ladies and boys under 16s, 15s, 13s and 12s.

Now the council is hoping the tournament will become an annual event and will be looking to attract more teams. The event could even be staged over a full weekend.

Sponsored by Forbes and Partners Solicitors and Bookers Cash and Carry, the event served up a full day's treat of football - and nothing was more exciting than the ladies final where Blackburn Rovers Ladies beat Wigan Ladies in a dramatic sudden death penalty shoot-out.

The cup appeared to be going to Wigan but Rovers drew level with a last-gasp equaliser to push the pulsating final into extra time. There was no separating the teams during extra time and they were still level after five penalties each. However, Rovers final won the epic in the sudden death shoot-out.

Elsewhere Rishton caused the shock of the day when the beat Blackburn Academy 1-0 to win the under 16s section.

And Blackburn Boys enjoyed a successful day by reaching three finals and coming away with two winning trophies.

The Boys under 12s turned on the style when they beat a battling AC Blackburn side who never gave up despite going down 7-0. Blackburn Boys under 15s gave the club their second trophy of the day when they narrowly beat Barrowford Celtic 2-1.

However Blackburn Boys were denied a hat-trick of trophies when they went down 4-2 against Knuzden Youth in the junior match of the day.

In the senior section, Cooper Rigg beat Lord Ragland's Sunday side 3-0.

Iqbal Ibrahim, one of the event organisers, said that he was delighted with the way the inaugural competition went.

He said: "Considering this was the first time we had held the event and a lot of work had to be carried out from scratch we were delighted with the response we received."

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