WITH World Cup fever sweeping Thanet, youngsters in Westgate now have a chance to bend it like Beckham with a new youth football club.

KCC community warden Tony Bailey came up with the idea for the scheme after noticing how many children were playing soccer in the streets.

When Offstreet FC held its first organised games at St Saviour’s School, Elm Grove, more than 50 local youngsters came along to show off their skills for the two teams catering for ages 7-12 and 13-17.

Mr Bailey, who runs the club with a pair of local volunteers, said: "The first sessions have been really successful and it’s brilliant to be able to get the young people of Westgate involved in something that’s fun, healthy and safe."

Eager club member Taylor Lawrence, 9, said: "Tony’s really nice and I love playing here, it’s great fun."

The football club is an offshoot of the highly popular Offstreet Youth Club, which has just celebrated its first anniversary with a disco attended by more than 100 young people.

It was Mr Bailey who came up with the idea for the club in November 2004 and worked with volunteers from the area to provide table tennis, snooker, pool, arts and crafts and outdoor activities all with adult supervision at Christchurch, in West Bay Avenue.

The KCC community warden, who won £3,000 funding for the project from the Kent Community Safety Partnership, added: "The club has been very successful and I’d like to thank all the local volunteers who help run it - there wouldn’t be a club without them."

Mike Hill, Kent County Council cabinet member for communities, added: "Like all KCC community wardens, Tony is doing some great work to help give his community the kind of facilities they really need."

To find out more, call Tony Bailey on 07969 583922.