Seventy junior footballers were at Workington Reds' first match of the season as part of a sponsorship deal.

The young stars from Workington Reds Juniors sponsored the senior side's home match against Sutton Coldfield Town on Saturday.

There were also 13 coaches and 45 parents from Reds Juniors at the game, while the U8s were mascots.

Workington Reds Juniors, previously called Workington Juniors, has affiliated itself with Reds. It means Workington Reds now has teams from U7s right through to the reserves and first team.

Simon Collins, chairman of Workington Reds Juniors, said: "It was a good occasion and we had a lot of kids down.

"Everything we are trying to do at the juniors is about forging a link through the whole club from U7s right through to the first team.

"If we can fetch one or two players through to the first team before you know it we have a first team that has cost Reds absolutely nothing . It's a win-win for everybody.

"It's an ongoing relationship. It seems to be working well."

One success story is 21-year-old Matthew Perry. The former Workington Reds Juniors midfielder, who progressed from the U7s right through to Workington Reserves, is currently training with the first team.