The Biggest Youth Football Tournament in the S East
Celebrity Presentation Evening
The Mitre Cup Tournament attracts football teams from all over the UK and is as popular as ever. Considered by many to be the best Junior Football Tournament of its kind in the South East. Many of the teams who compete in this tournament return every year, which is a testimony to the event's popularity.
Our tournament organiser at Clacton has been working with us from the very beginning and has built an excellent team around him that makes this a highly regarded and popular football tournament.
The tournaments are played at the excellent Parish Fields pitches, which boast great playing surfaces and a club house with changing rooms. The venue is also in an ideal location for our parks with only 5 minutes journey from Highfields and 10 minutes drive from Seawick, Martello Beach & Valley Farm.
Clacton on Sea is Essex’s sunshine coast with its golden beaches, the famous Victorian Pier and bustling Colorful promenades, plus a great line up of sparkling entertainment both on the front and within the holiday parks.
No tournament would be complete without our fantastic Presentation Evenings!
Our Mitre Cup presentations are held at The Venue - the magnificent new entertainment complex at Seawick Holiday Park.
With theatre style seating, music, lights and fireworks, we think The Venue at Seawick is hard to beat - who will your celebrity be?
Tournament Age Groups
U7s, U8s, U9s, U10s - Mini Soccer
U11s - Easter - 11 a side
U11s - Mayday & Spring Bank - 9 a side
U12s, U13s, U14s, U15s - 11a side
If you are unsure about what age group your players should be entered into, please check the qualifying dates chart in the Tournament Info Tab above.
Our tournaments are not just about the football - your players can gain valuable experience playing against a number of different teams, make friends, and who knows - maybe even take away some trophies!
Accommodation
The choice of 4 highly regarded and popular Holiday parks all boast an array of excellent facilities, and big on fun and entertainment with comftable, well equipped caravans.
Seawick Holiday Park
With St Osyth beach just five minutes away, it’s the perfect place for your holiday. To make your tour a truly memorable experience, Seawick has an excellent range of facilities including The Venue - the new entertainment complex plus the Amusement Area has a wide range of games and machines for children and the young at heart. Seawick’s sister park is just across the road and clients can use the facilities there also - including heated indoor swimming pool. If you wish to sit and relax, try the small fishing lake. For everyday items there is a Convenience Store, and for eating in or takeaways try some wonderful dishes at the Indian restaurant or Chinese takeaway. Alternatively, see what there is on offer at the Food Court. The Aztecs Entertainment Centre has two clubs with family entertainment, plus late night cabaret. There is also on the entrance to the Park the Seagull Public House with Sky Sports to watch all the football matches and ensure you don’t miss the big games while on tour!
Highfield Park
There is an array of excellent facilities at Highfield Holiday Park which includes an exciting 200ft water chute. Kids will also love the indoor soft play area, the outdoor adventure playground, plus all the action in Sparky’s Krew Club. Outdoor facilities include an all weather sports court with sport resort programme to keep everyone busy when not playing football! The park also offers the convenience of a launderette to wash the kits and a shop to buy your food and drink, however if cooking isn’t your thing then try out the takeaway on park, the food choice café or one of the many restaurants nearby! At night, in the newly refurbished Dolphin Showbar enjoy dancing to the resident bands, join in the fun and games, enter the weekly competitions, disco the night away or take in one of the spectacular shows. There is a fabulous line up of exciting cabaret, with visiting bands, singers, marvellous magicians and side-splitting comedians all selected to make your tour entertainment special.
Valley Farm
Valley Farm Holiday Park is perfect for an action packed family holiday. The kids can splash about in the indoor pool or have fun in the amusements. Parents can relax and unwind in the sauna, or check out the televised sports in the friendly Sports Bar. In the evening pick up some tasty fish & chips or head over to the Food Court Café before settling down to enjoy the dazzling line up of evening entertainment. Accommodation is in comfortable 4, 6 or 8 berth caravans.
Facilities onsite include a launderette for those all important kit washes, Park Mart Store for everyday essentials, Adventure playground, Sports Bar & evening entertainment in the Valleyside Showbar plus lots more.
Martello Beach
The holiday centre is situated just yards from Clacton’s sandy beaches and a short drive to the town centre. The attractions on the park will mean you won’t venture far. The facilities include a newly restyled East Beach show bar for great family entertainment. Multi Zone adventure playground, amusements, pool and darts will keep young ones happy. And there's a Park Mart for everyday essentials plus launderette, and the Ocean Express cafe and Takeaway. The accommodation is in comfortable, well equipped 4, 6 and 8 berth caravans.
Tournament Information The Mitre Cup
The Mitre Cup attracts teams from all over the UK and is as popular as ever. Over 185 teams took part in 2010 and it is now one of the biggest youth football tournaments of its kind in the South East. Many of the teams that compete return year after year, which is testimony to the event's popularity. Our tournament organiser at Clacton has been working with us from the very beginning and has built an excellent team.
The tournaments are played at the highly sought after Parish Fields pitches which boast excellent playing surfaces and a club house with catering and changing rooms. The venue is in an ideal location for our parks with only 5 to 10 minutes drive from any of our Holiday Parks.
Tournament Format - general
The actual format of each tournament will depend on the ages and number of teams taking part, with full details being supplied as far in advance of your departure as possible. What we can tell you is that you can be sure of a well organised and planned event with every detail taken care of.
We will do our best to ensure that every team plays the maximum amount of football permitted by the FA on each day of the event in which they participate or qualify. Age groups below are general for all UK tournaments - please check the chart below for which age groups can enter your specific tournament.
U7 & U8 (non competitive) – maximum 45 minutes each day
U9, U10, U11m – maximum 60 minutes each day
U11 playing 9V9 - maximum 80 minutes each day
U11 to U16 – maximum 100 minutes each day
All girls age groups will be playing as 7 a side
In most cases, teams of the same age are divided into groups (the number in each group will depend on the number of teams which enter in that age group). Teams will play a league format and in most cases the winner and runner up of each group will go through to a semi-final to determine the eventual finalists.
Due to differing qualifying dates applying in Scotland, Ireland, and Europe, these teams will play in an age group one year above their own.
Referees at our Tournaments
We have built up a nucleus of quality referees that look forward to attending our events; many have been with us since our UK tournaments began. We will provide qualified referees throughout the competition, as well as qualified assistant referees for the finals. You will therefore be asked to put forward a volunteer assistant referee for the early round matches.
Tournament Qualification
In order to qualify for our tournaments, your team must be affiliated to a County or Schools FA. We DO NOT allow Representative, Football Academy, or Schools of Excellence teams to enter. However, individual players from such teams are allowed as 'guest players' within teams who are eligible to enter the tournament.
Schedules
Football schedules, location of pitches, and all tournament information will be displayed on our website approximately 7 days prior to the start of the tournament, in the My Schedules section. It is extremely important to check this information beforehand.
First Aid at Football Venues
Injuries unfortunately can happen, and when they do it is essential to have adequate first aid cover. We provide excellent first aid cover at all football venues using the services of organisations such as St Johns Ambulance, Red Cross or other qualified paramedics.
| Age Groups The Mitre Cup |
|||||||||||
| Age Group | U7 | U8 | U9 | U10 | U11 | U12 | U13 | U14 | U15 | ||
| Born on or after | Sept 2004 | Sept 2003 | Sept 2002 | Sept 2001 | Sept 2000 |
Sept 1999 | Sept 1998 | Sept 1997 | Sept 1996 | ||
| Squad Size | 7 a side | 7 a side | 7 a side | 7 a side | 11 a side/ 9 a side Spring Bank Only |
11 a side | 11 a side | 11 a side | 11 a side | ||
Dates and Prices
| Seawick Holiday Park 4, 6, 8 Berth Caravans & 4, 6 Berth Chalets | ||||
| Date | 4 or 6 Berth Chalets* |
4 or 6 Berth Caravans* |
8 Berth sleeping 7 Persons** |
8 Berth sleeping 8 Persons** |
| Easter W/E Fri 6th April - Mon 9th April |
£85 |
£89 |
£77 | £67 |
| May Day Fri 4th May - Mon 7th May |
£88 |
£92 |
£79 | £69 |
| Spring Bank W/E Fri 1 June - Mon 4th June |
£88 |
£92 |
£79 | £69 |
| Highfield Park 4, 6, 8 Berth Caravans | |||
| Date | 4 or 6 Berth Caravans* |
8 Berth sleeping 7 Persons** |
8 Berth sleeping 8 Persons** |
| Easter Weekend Fri 6th April - Mon 9th April |
£90 |
£78 |
£68 |
| May Day Fri 4th May - Mon 7th May |
£94 |
£81 |
£71 |
| Spring Bank Weekend Fri 1st June - Mon 4th June |
£87 |
£75 | £66 |
| Valley Farm 4, 6, 8 Berth Caravans | |||
| Date | 4 or 6 Berth Caravans* |
8 Berth sleeping 7 Persons** |
8 Berth sleeping 8 Persons** |
| May Day Fri 4th May - Mon 7th May |
£90 |
£78 |
£68 |
| Spring Bank W/E Fri 1st June - Mon 4th June |
£85 |
£73 |
£64 |
| Martello Beach Park 4, 6, 8 Berth Caravans | |||
| Date |
4 or 6 Berth Caravans* |
8 Berth sleeping 7 Persons** |
8 Berth sleeping 8 Persons** |
| May Day Fri 4th May - Mon 7th May |
£88 | £76 | £66 |
| Spring Bank W/E Fri 1st June - Mon 7th June |
£82 |
£71 | £62 |
| Notes | |||
| * Supplements apply for 2 or 3 persons in a 4 berth unit - please see table below. ** The prices shown per person for 7 or 8 persons in an 8 berth unit INCLUDE the free place discounts. |
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| Don’t forget early Booking Discount 1 Free Place for every 25 people booked before 30 November 2011 |
Eight in an Eight Berth Discount
When you fully occupy an eight-berth unit you will only pay for 6 places - TWO GO FREE.
Seven in an Eight Berth Discount
When you have 7 persons in an eight-berth unit you will only pay for 6 places - ONE GOES FREE.
Tournament Registration Fees
The following registration fees are payable PER TEAM.
- U16 11-a-side £225
- U15s 11-a-side £215
- All other 11-a-side £195
- 9-a-side & 7-a-side £145
Under Occupancy Surcharges
The prices quoted for each of the UK tournament venues are based on full 4 & 6 berth occupancy and a minimum of 7 people occupying an 8 berth unit. The following scale of additional charges therefore apply where a unit is under occupied for what ever reason.
| Supplementary charge payable | ||||||||
| Persons Sharing | 4 Berth Unit | 6 & 8 Berth Unit | ||||||
| 2 Persons |
£60 per person |
N/A | ||||||
| 3 Persons |
£20 per person |
N/A |
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For example: - Three people occupying a four berth unit would be subject to a supplement of £20 per person making a total of £60 N.B. - No supplementary charge for 5 persons occupying a 6 berth unit, 7 persons occupying an 8 berth unit.
