South Tyneside Representative Football Squad is made up of primary school pupils from across the borough.

The under-11s team won the English Schools' Football Association national seven-a-side finals last season.

Sandra Grout, 45, from Sorrel Gardens, Holder House, South Shields, whose son Alexander, 11, was part of the team, has put them forward for a Sporting Excellence award.

She said: "This is the first time in the history of schoolboy football in South Tyneside that this has ever been achieved."

She added that the team also had many other successes in league and cup competitions.

Team coach David Newton said: "I am delighted that the 2006/07 primary schools' under-11 football team has been nominated for the Pride of South Tyneside Awards.

"Their achievement to be the best representative schools' team in the country speaks for itself.

"I know the boys and their parents were proud to represent all the primary schools in South Tyneside in the finals, which we managed to win."

They finished second in their group in the qualifiers and beat West Kent 3-2 in the semi-finals.

They played Portsmouth in the final, at the University of Keele, and won 4-2 on penalties after the score was tied 1-1 after extra time.

They got to the finals again this year, but were beaten 1-0 by Lewisham at Wembley on Saturday.

> > Take part in our web vote.