Radford Rangers under-10s from Coventry were playing in a makeshift strip until Old Warwick Road-based Ballingers stepped in.

Company employee Derek Collier approached managing director Graham Ballinger after his son Ben joined the Radford side.

Mr Ballinger was only too happy to help the team and invited them down to the Leamington showrooms to take delivery of their brand new kit – and invited a Coventry City star to present the strips.

Sky Blues striker Cedric Roussel, who lives in the Leamington area, did the honours and, according to team manager Richard Slevin, made the boys’ day.

He said:

"Before we had to play in a real mix and match kit with the kids having to wear a variety of different colours and I think that makes it hard to feel like a serious team.

"Now we have received this new kit the lads are delighted and you can see how enthusiastic they are just to play in it. It was a great thrill for them to meet Cedric, who was superb."

Graham Ballinger said he hoped the new strip would bring the youngsters luck.

He said:

"We are always looking for ways to invest in the community and when Derek mentioned to me that the side were desperately short of funding for a kit it seemed a great thing to purchase. They look very smart and hopefully they will do well in the strip.

"The coach and some players from the side came down to our premises and were quite surprised to find Cedric Roussel here already!

"So they not only left with a brand new kit, but also with a stack of autographs and a day to remember."