THE CRANE Sevens are to return this summer – but the tournament will be run as a youth competition.

Ipswich Town, whose team included Mick Mills, were one of the winners of the Crane Sevens, which historically ran as a seven-a-side adult competition from 1966 through to 1988, before the club’s ground was taken over by Ipswich Town.

The following year it was moved to Ipswich Wanderers’ Humber Doucy Lane ground with full-sized goals being used for the first time.

The tournament was last staged in 2007, and Kingsley Healthcare SIL side Crane Sports had plans to bring it back last summer, but it did not get off the ground.

Clubs are now being invited to take part in the competition to be held at Gresham Sports Club in Tuddenham Road, Ipswich on Sunday, June 24.

Sam Nunn, who is first-team coach at Cranes, is organising the event and said: “Our target is to make it the largest youth seven-a-side one-day competition in Ipswich.

“It is our intention to run teams for under-9s (this season’s under-8s) and under-11s (this season’s under-10s) and entries will be on a first come, first served basis. There will be a maximum of 24 teams per age group.”

The competition will be affiliated to Suffolk County FA.

The entry fee will be �30 per team, with under-9s starting at 9am and the under-11s at 12.30pm. The deadline for entries is the end of April. Food and drink will be available on the day from a barbecue along with a draw and other children’s events.

Clubs interested in entering should contact Sam Nunn by email at nuttynunn84@googlemail.com or 07737 311664.