A PLEA has gone out to local junior football teams to join the oldest youth league in England – Bolton Boys & Girls Federation.

Bosses of the league want teams at Under-11s and Under-12s levels to help feed their Under-15s, 17s and 18s leagues when the current crop of players become too old.

The Boys Fed – as it is commonly known – was launched in 1923 and has spawned the career of World Cup winner Alan Ball.

Wanderers legend Nat Lofthouse and former Manchester City and England internationals Francis Lee and Colin Bell also played in the league as youngsters.

Paul Scholes, Phil Neville, and Alan Stubbs are all footballers who also went on to make big careers in the game after playing in the league.

“The standard of football has been and continues to be very high,” said league general secretary Duncan Tighe. “We currently have teenage teams, but, of course, they will eventually be too old to play for their teams.

“It is important that we now try to bolster the competition at the younger end in order to keep the league going. There has been an endless stream of professionals emerging from us and that is continuing with two of our lads signed by Huddersfield and Preston.”

Boys Fed matches traditionally take place on a Sunday and that trend looks set to continue in the 2010-11 season.

Anyone interested should contact Martin Smith on 07812 561515.