THE Mayor of Christchurch showed the fledging Football stars how it’s done as he took the first kick on the new pitches at the Two Riversmeet Centre in Christchurch.

The Mayor, Cllr David Flagg, took the first penalty on the new 3G synthetic turf pitches under the watchful eyes of the team mates from Burton United under-16s and Portsmouth Football Club’s Development Centre.

The Development Centre aims to identify young players who might be good enough to move into the Premier League Club’s Football Academy, bridging the gap between local football and the academy.

Ron Bertie, one of the coaches, said: “We are taking players from Christchurch and the surrounding area who may have missed out on the academy at a younger age and encouraging them to develop their talents.

“These pitches are Premiership standard and very few places have got them.

“We’ve made so many bookings here because with these facilities, you can’t say no!”