Craig in freestyle glory bid

FOOTBALL: OLDHAM’S Craig Gorey is among five young football freestylers from the North West heading down to London tomorrow to compete in the Red Bull StreetStyle Final, the UK’s most prestigious football freestyle competition.

They are hoping to win a place at next year’s World Championships, to be held at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Freestyle football is one of the fastest-growing activities in the UK, where players perform jaw-dropping skills and tricks while juggling the ball with their feet.

Gorey (18), Manchester-based Oma Hassoun (14), Rowen Pegler (17), Michael Hindle (16) and Jak Gregory (17), from, Preston are members of a Freestyle Football Dream Team, put together by local company StreetWise Soccer to perform at corporate and community events.

They will be competing against 11 other players, all hoping to impress judges who include Dutch legend Edgar Davids.