A YOUTH football team has been given a boost after securing a new sponsorship deal and new kit from a shopping centre.

Cowley's Templars Square shopping centre announced last week that it was supporting Oxford's Greater Leys Youth Football Club squad.

The club, now sporting new kit emblazoned with the sponsor's logo, was formed in 2008 before being granted FA Charter Standard – the accreditation scheme for grassroots clubs and leagues – in 2011.

The team play their matches at Pegasus School in Blackbird Leys, and field a number of teams of different age groups, ranging from six to 17.

A Templars Square spokesman said of the boost: "It’s great to see local kids going out there and getting involved in sport, and we could not be happier to be featured on their kit.

"We wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season."

So far this year the team have scored a 7-0, 7-3 and 9-5 win, and it follows last summer's string of victories by reaching the finals of three out of five tournaments they entered.

Blackbird Leys councillor Linda Smith welcomed the news and the funding commitment to the team from the centre and praised the work of volunteers who made it possible.

She said: "I am pleased. Greater Leys FC make a fantastic contribution to the local community.

"We have worked in partnership with them to promote football to local people and to provide sports facilities to people that want to get involved in football, so it is really good news. I am really grateful for all of the work that volunteers at Grater Leys FC do and all the other clubs which have helped and get involved on a regular basis.

"A lot of this wouldn't happen without the help and work of volunteers and it is great to see that this has been recognised with the sponsorship deal."

She added that a major £300,000 refurbishment of the existing multi-use games area [MUGA] at Pegasus Road was nearing completing.

The makeover for the sports facility is expected to be completed by April, the councillor said.

Work on the site has involved replacing the surface with a new 3G artificial pitch and new 4.5m high ball-stop fencing erected around the perimeter, replacing a 'dilapidated' fence, with new hard standing areas around the pitch for goal storing.

Six high-energy floodlight masts standing at 8m tall also replace the existing four and there are 41 additional car parking spaces added to the existing overflow car park.