BURNLEY'S historic Hospital Cup has been saved after a U-turn by East Lancashire's hospital bosses.

Health chiefs who last month said they could no longer support the 123-year-old trophy have made a last-minute decision to back the world's oldest football tournament.

This year's competition was cancelled after East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust refused to support the cup because it was restricted to teams from Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, and not the whole of East Lancashire.

But now, in a change of heart, Trust members have agreed a set of three principles which include supporting similar local fundraising events in other areas such as Blackburn's Orphanage Cup and therefore allowing the Hospital Cup to continue.

A spokesman for the Hospital Cup Committee today said he was pleased the situation had been resolved but said it was too late for this year's tournament.

He said: "In local football terms it is good news that next season the local teams will be able to play in the Hospital Cup.

"Everyone who enters looks forward to playing the final at Turf Moor.

"But we do feel very let down that we have not been able to run it this year.

"There will need to be detailed discussions between the Trust and the existing Hospital Cup organising committee.

"The Burnley Hospital Cup is run as a pre-season competition and as soon as the Nelson leagues and Burnley leagues found out they weren't being run they brought forward their own season.

"There is no way we can run the competition this year.

"We probably would have raised £8,000 to £10,000."

The competition was formed in 1883. It was traditionally run by a committee from Burnley General Hospital and latterly supported by Burnley Hospital NHS Trust.

The trophy which teams play for is owned by the Trust, which also helps with administration.

But since the East Lancashire Trust was formed in 2003, bosses have said they could not justify supporting the competition despite it raising £100,000 in 10 years - because they could not be seen to support one area over another.

Stephen Brookfield, director of finance, information, planning and capital at the Trust, said: "In the spirit of equality if a similar cup competition requires support from the Trust in the Blackburn area, support will be consistent with that given to the Hospital Cup."

Details of whether the Hospital Cup will retain its name and whether the existing committee will still play a part in running the cup are still to be discussed.