TESCO have agreed to sponsor the Cumberland County League for a second successive season.

The supermarket giants took over as League backers for the current campaign and have quickly agreed to continue their sponsorship.

Neil Skitt, Tesco’s north west regional current affairs manager, welcomed the extension.

He said: “We at Tesco were delighted with our inaugural season’s sponsorship of the Cumberland County Football League and we are pleased to extend it into the 2008-09 campaign. It proved a real winner last season and we are sure it will continue to flourish next year.

“The link up with the league fits in well with our goal of supporting grass roots football in Cumbria. Besides being well received by players, officials and supporters, it also proved a good match for Tesco as the league covers an area that includes Workington and Whitehaven, where we have stores, as well as Carlisle, where we have two further outlets.

“We’d like to add that Tesco’s commitment to local soccer in Cumbria is not just with senior teams but also with juniors. As well as sponsoring the county’s major men’s league, we were also proud to sponsor three junior cup competitions in Cumbria last season for boys and girls teams, which proved extremely popular.

”Meanwhile, may we wish all the teams the best of luck for 2008-09 in whichever of the Tesco-sponsored competitions they compete in Cumbria.”

League secretary Steve McMahon was delighted that Tesco had renewed its sponsorship.

He said: “It is fantastic news. We are delighted. We’ve had a brilliant relationship with Tesco as the league’s sponsors this season. Everyone involved is very grateful for Tesco’s support.

“It is a big boost for the league that they are continuing as our sponsors. It is a tremendous fillip for us to carry the name of a major national company. People are very impressed when they see it. Tesco sponsor the Women’s FA Cup so it is great that a local league in Cumbria carries the same prestigious name.”    

The top three teams in the Tesco County League Division One all won to set up a grand slam finish to the 2007/2008 season on Tuesday,

With one game remaining all three could have finished on 35 points as Whitehaven Miners topped the table on goal difference from Cleator Moor Celtic with Frizington White Star, close behind in third.

In a perfect example of fixture planning Whitehaven Miners hosted Celtic in the final game with the title at stake. In fact all the goals came in the first-half as Celtic established a 3-1 lead.

Try as they could Whitehaven just couldn’t make any inroads in the second-half as Celtic held on to be crowned champions.
Whitehaven, in fact, slipped to third as Frizington beat St. Bees 5-1 to clinch runners-up spot. 

Wednesday night saw Whitehaven Miners do their title aspirations no harm as they hit eight past Bransty Rangers and then they inflicted a 2-0 reversal on Carlisle Spartans who played their last game in the County League.

Warren Thompson has ran the side for around seven years and he has had enough so the club is to fold.

League spokesman Herbert Briggs said: “It's a shame to lose a club but to lose a lad like Warren is a real shame as I never had any problems with him. He always did his job and his match reports were second to none.”

Celtic had a 6-1 victory over St. Bees, while Frizington will hope they can do the same as they stayed in contention with a 3 - 1 victory over Parton United.

The remaining fixtures for the season are as follows: Saturday, May 24 - Tesco Premier League: Mirehouse v Salterbeck.
Wednesday May 28 - Mirehouse v Aspatria.
Saturday May 31 - Ken Glover Memorial Shield final at Whitehaven Miners County Ground: Netherhall v Wigton Harriers (kick off 2pm).

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