IT'S a case of hands across the water this Saturday when a French team crosses the Channel to take part in the Horrabridge six-a-side invitation football tournament.
The event, at Fillace Park, Horrabridge, starts at 9.45am and is jointly organised by the football club and the twinning club to raise funds.
This is the third year of the tournament which was originally started to repay friends from the French twin village of Tilly-sur-Seulles in Normandy who every year for 18 years since 1980 received a party from Horrabridge to take part in two six-a-side tournaments held over their Whitsun weekend.
The French came across for the first tournament two years ago and although they did not win it, they had the pleasure of watching their national team win the World Cup final before taking the ferry back to France.
Last year the French were unable to participate due to work commitments but will be here in force this year hoping to emulate their national team who won Euro 2000.
Tournament organiser and chairman of the football twinning club Chris Mitchelmore joked that the French may be champions of the world, and of Europe but to become champions of Horrabridge may be just too much for them.
This year the tournament has increased from 16 to 24 invited teams split into four groups of six. The top two in each group go forward to the Champions Cup played on a knockout basis, and third and fourth go into the Supplementary Cup, again on a knockout basis.
The competition is run along the lines of that in France and ensures all teams have a reasonable amount of games and are involved for most of the day.
It has rained on both of the previous occasions but Horrabridge are hoping it is third time lucky and the sun will shine.
Food and drink will be available on the day plus an outside bar and weather permitting ice creams.
The football and twinning clubs expressed thanks to the following sponsors of the competition for the draw prizes , cups and medals: Toshiba UK, the London Inn, Fitzsimmons butchers, the barber's shop, Londis stores and Blue Ribbon.
l Horrabridge Rangers Junior football team have entered two seven-a-side teams in a multi-national soccer competition in Holland.
Twenty-one nations from all over the world will be represented in the competition which runs from July 23 to July 31 — Horrabridge's divisions include teams from America and the host nation.
The Rangers expressed thanks to all who have helped their Under 11s players to take part in the competition by raising more than £5,000 towards the trip.
Sponsors include McDonalds, the London Inn, the Leaping Salmon, Sampford Spiney and Horrabridge WI, Horrabridge Cavaliers, the Pen Factory and many individuals.