THE annual Blackburn with Darwen Council pre-season football tournament was all about numbers - and it all added up!

A total of 144 teams competed in 15 age groups over two days with more than 6500 spectators, players and officials involved in a competition now in its eighth years.

Teams came from near and far to take part in a competition - again sponsored by Forbes Solicitors - which has proved itself to be one of the premier summer tournaments in the North West.

Organised by the council's community and events team, a total of 60 referees from the Blackburn Referees Association officiated games on 18 pitches at Pleasington Playing Fields - the tournament's venue for the past three years.

Such is the tournament's reputation, Manchester United, Liverpool and all of the other top clubs across the North West sent scouts to cast on eye over the young players on show. With the Under Sevens age group played on a friendly basis, it was visiting teams to the area who plundered most of the silverware, winning 11 of the 14 other age groups.

Knuzden proved to be the top local team, winning both the Under Eights and Under Nines age groups, while Black Horse won an all-Blackburn Sunday Leage final when they beat Cabin End in the senior men's competition.

In the Under Eights final, Knuzden beat Accrington Stanley 2-1 - the only team to beat them in the group stages.

The pair finished first and second in Group A but met again in the final after Stanley beat Bridge Colts 3-0 while Knuzden narrowly beat Horwich White Bullets 3-2.

And Knuzden got the perfect revenge for their 1-0 group defeat against Stanley to win in the final.

The club quickly got their hands on more silverware in the Under Nines final with a 4-0 win over Darwen Rangers. Rangers went in to the final as the form team having amassed 17 goals in an unbeaten run to the final while Knuzden scored 10 goals and lost to Huncoat United in their last group game.

But when it matter most, Knuzden turned on the style for a deserved win. Elsewhere it was a case of so near but yet so far.

Ossie St Mary's lost 4-0 to Manchester side Moston in the Under 10s final after winning four of the five matches to top their group, then beating Princes Villa B 1-0 in the semi final.

Akzo also made the semi finals but lost 2-0 to the eventual winners.

Akzo went one better in the Under 11s event when they reached the final only to lose 2-0 to CMB Radcliffe. History repeated itself in the Under 12s section when Akzo went down 2-0 to Tempest United in the group stages then lost 2-1 against the Bolton side in the final.

The Under 13s saw Prestatyn beatDelamere Rangers 1-0 with Brandlesholme Warriors from Bury beating Buckley Town 1-0 in the Under 14s final.

Akzo went in to the Under 18s final as the form team having won all of their group games and hammering Urmston Town 6-0 in the semi finals.

But after being held 1-1 by Chaddy End, the Darwen side lost out in a penalty shoot-out.

In the senior men's section Black Horse beat Globe 1-0 to reach the final while unbeaten Cabin End beat West End 4-0 in their semi final.

The final itself proved to be a close affair with Black Horse beating Cabin End 2-1.

In the girls section, Blackburn side Inter Mill Hill reached the Under 10s final after a battling 2-0 win against Great Harwood Rovers. But Heyside Angels proved to be too strong as the Oldham side repeated the 5-0 group victory to take the honours.

Great Harwood Rovers were represented in the Under 12s final but came up against a strong Bury Girls side who ran out 5-0 winners. And in the senior ladies section, Bacup narrowly missed out on glory after losing 1-0 to Bolton.

Earlier, Bolton squeezed past Accrington Ladies 1-0 in their semi final while Bacup won a seven-goal thriller against Preston, winning 4-3.