THE largest youth club in the Southampton area offered Bishop's Waltham and Netley their services to stage an alternative cup final.

Hedge End Rangers chairman Richard Bauck was incensed at reading in the Daily Echo that the Tyro League had cancelled the Under-15 Trophyman Cup final.

"I was happy to loan them our facilities and we'd have happily provided match officials and trophies as well," said Bauck. "The Tyro League, or at least the Under-15 section, have made themselves look like fools."

Hedge End currently have 29 boys teams - including 14 in the Tyro League and 15 at mini-soccer level - plus two girls teams started this season. And in 2005/06 the club plan to field four girls sides.

"We're the only club in the Tyro League to have three teams at more than one age group," he said proudly. "We've got three teams at under-11, under-12 and under-13.

Hedge End have so many mini-soccer (under-eight-under-ten) teams, they created their own league five years ago because the Eastleigh & District Mini League wouldn't accept more than two teams from the same club at any one age level.

"Rather than just let the most talented kids play," said Bauck. "We wanted to ensure that everyone who wanted to play got to play so we organised our own league.

"It's just made up of our own teams plus four from Bitterne Terriers, who have been involved since the start.

"We could probably expand it but we haven't got enough pitches as it is. We'd have to find more coaches and managers and get more parents involved - we'd be cutting off our nose to spite our face."