BUDDING David Beckhams could be polishing up their soccer skills on specialist pitches in Tavistock if a new funding bid scores with the Football Association.

Sports organisation Crowndale Recreation Association has just applied to the FA for a grant of almost £23,000 to develop seven mini-soccer pitches on 12 acres of land at Crowndale.

If successful, the CRA hopes the pitches would attract 'district centre status' and the creation of a West Devon mini-soccer league.

John Warne, CRA chairman, said he was 'hopeful' the result of the application would be known by March.

The mini-pitches would provide facilities for around 100 youngsters playing for Tavistock Thistles and Tavistock Jets football clubs.

At present they play on a variety of pitches in the area, although all league games have to be played miles away in Plymouth.

The CRA originally announced its intention of applying for £97,500 worth of FA funding this time last year.

Mr Warne said the FA's policies have changed since then — Newton Abbot was awarded a grant to become a county centre for mini-soccer and Tavistock falls into district centre category.

'I cannot stress enough just how much this facility is needed to act as a focal point for soccer in Tavistock and the surrounding area,' said Mr Warne, who paid tribute to the efforts made by the town's two youth sides to develop young players.

He said: 'The CRA plans to help Thistles and Jets provide the springboard to develop the FA's overall vision of grassroots soccer — we are actively encouraging Tavistock FC to join in this effort with us.'

Mr Warne added the CRA hoped Tavistock could become a flagship project for the FA, one of the first rural centres for soccer in the country.

A further funding bid for full-sized pitches later this year could ride on the back of a successful first application, said Mr Warne.

Steve Groombridge, of Tavistock Thistles, said: 'We are in full support of this. The FA hopefully have a lot of money swimming around because of these new TV deals — the idea is we get underway with mini soccer and build from there.'

Jim Lothian, founder of Tavistock Jets, gave full backing to the project.

'We feel there is a need for Tavistock to be considered as a centre for mini-soccer, otherwise we have to keep going into Plymouth for our youngsters to play,' he said.

Mr Lothian said it would allow football to be developed in Tavistock from the youngest player upwards.

The CRA was formed in 1994 with a view to developing outdoor sports facilities in the Crowndale Valley.

An ambitious National Lottery bid for a multi-million pound project covering a variety of sports failed in 1997. Last year the CRA decided to concentrate on attracting grants from the FA as a first step towards improving sports facilities in the area.