Saturday's Full-Time Scores

Ruckus 5-2 Fire

Saturday 6th March

Ruckus Park, Hampshire. Att: 28,763.

Garry Stretford's first professional hat-trick helped the South Coast Ruckus tear through the Nottingham Fire as the home club celebrated their first ever game at purposely-built Ruckus Park.

The team in yellow, green and grey thrashed the Fire 5-2 with Martin King and Michael Heany also joining in Stretford's party with goals of their own.

The young 21-year-old midfielder Stretford also had a solid performance for England in the second half of the 5-0 friendly thrashing of South Africa on Wednesday, setting up the final two goals, and winning the Vodafone Man of the Match award.

He has been linked with a move away from Southern England, with clubs like Monsters, London Town and London United reportedly interested in the London-born midfielder.

But that did not stop him from scoring a perfect hat-trick against Nottingham - the first goal came from a sweet left-footed volley, the second from a right-footed curling free-kick and the third from a header from King's cross (no pun intended).

With the Ruckus leading 5-0 with ten minutes remaining, the Fire did their best to start a mini comeback with goals from Ben Judd and Erik Lyngstad.

Goals

Ruckus: Stretford 4', 31', 66', Heany 46', King 76'.

Fire: Judd 81', Lyngstad 85'.

Monsters 4-1 Dragons

Saturday 6th March

Monsters Park, York. Att: 35,473.

The Monsters got off to flying start with a 4-1 thrashing of the Dragons.

Goals

Monsters: Quique 24', 48', Watkinson 66', Van den Bergh 78'.

Dragons: Christian Jones 75'.

Strikers 1-3 Real Birmingham

Saturday 6th March

Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Att: 15,306.

Cristiano Costa scored a hat-trick as Real Birmingham got off to flying start with a 3-1 win in Sheffield.

The Strikers however made it 1-0 with a goal from Phil van der Vuuren after only two minutes.

But it only fired up Real. Right-back Paolo Baggola upended Costa in the box, and the Portuguese slotted home the penalty.

Adam Barry hit a ferocious volley which Andrea Rossi punched out, only towards the oncoming Costa who tapped it in to make it 2-1.

And Costa completed his treble with a beautiful free-kick that had so much power and swerve on it.

Goals

Strikers: van der Vuuren 2'.

Real Birmingham: Costa 17' p, 55', 79'.

London Town 4-0 Phantoms

Friday 5th March

HMV Park, London. Att: 43,076.

Reigning champions London Town started their new campaign with a comfortable 4-0 win over BritLeague new boys Leicester Phantoms.

John Carey netted a brace to help Town ensure that the Phantoms' first league game ever would end miserably for the visitors.

Andrea Romano and James Douglas also found the net.

Goals

London Town: Carey 16', 71', Romano 41', Douglas 88'

Phantoms: none.

Hutch: Vodafone pitch "killed" Redsy

London United manager Bobby Hutchinson has blamed the Vodafone Stadium's poor pitch for striker/midfielder Edward Redwood's knee injury he suffered in England's 5-0 demolition of South Africa on Wednesday.

The ginger star, 24, picked up the injury in the second half, and was replaced by Adam Carter, visibly limping as he came off.

"Redsy won't be fit on Sunday," said Hutchinson. "The Vodafone pitch killed him."

Wigan Comets admitted to BritLeague 2

The Wigan Comets, who played in the short-lived MLF Development League from 2004-2008, will become a professional team for the first time when they enter BritLeague 2 in 2011.

The Comets currently play in the North West Regional League, and the semi-pro team will disband after the 2010 season to be reformed as a BritLeague team.

FC London win BritLeague Cup

FC London won their first silverware since the 2007 CSA Champions League when they beat Sheffield Strikers 3-1 in the BritLeague Cup Final at the Vodafone Stadium on Saturday.

Brian Nixon scored a brace, before Chris Rhodes' long range chip in stoppage time.

The FC London team however looked scarcely recognisable as many new faces appeared in Brian Young's line-up, such as Clint van den Bergh, Ryan Welch and "Jezza" Constantinou.

Welch, a winger signed from London City, made a big impact in the first goal, setting up a cross for Nixon to head it in after 12 minutes.

However it wasn't all smiles in the first half as prolific winger Craig Palmer limped off after 34 minutes with a hip problem. He was replaced by Welshman Chris Rhodes.

And suddenly the Strikers found an equaliser straight after the kick-off, when Kevin Henderson, almost 32, took advantage of poor FCL defending and buried it past Christian Watson.

But however their joy was short-lived when Sheffield's Swiss full-back Paolo Baggola handballed in the box and Nixon buried the penalty.

The tempo of the game slowed down after that, but in the 90th minute, Rhodes spotted Andrea Rossi off his line, and from 40 yards out, chipped the ball over the Strikers' Italian custodian and into the net.

London gets fourth BritLeague team

The first team to enter BritLeague 2 is yet another team based in London. They will be based in the West End and will be called West London Warriors.

Unveiled at a press conference in West London today, the new team's colours will be gold and black.

The Warriors will, next year, become the fourth team from London to enter the BritLeague, following the lead of London United (1996), FC London (1998) and London Town (2005).

They will most likely play the 2011 season at FC London's stadium in Richmond, but the club already plan to build a ground of their own.

BritLeague launches respect scheme

The BritLeague has announced that it will launch a respect scheme for the upcoming 2010 season after witnessing several unsavoury incidents in 2009.

The League hopes the new scheme, called "Play the Game", will clamp down on violent incidents seen in '09.

This follows after last season's mass brawl in the Battle of Scotland between Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as the Yorkshire Derby between Leeds Lightning and Sheffield Strikers which saw seven players booked and four players sent off.

Hands off Stretford - Ruckus

South Coast Ruckus hope to cling onto talented England Under-21 midfielder Garry Stretford until the summer.

Clubs like the Monsters and FC London are interested in the 21-year-old, with the current transfer window not closed until the end of March.

But the Ruckus are still in contention in the CSA Club Championship and CSA England Cup.

And Ruckus manager Harry Davies says Stretford is such a key player for his side, and hints that the 21-year-old could be picked for England World Cup side in the summer.

"We want to hang on to him as long as we can because he's such a key man for us," said Davies. "I hope Marco Garibaldi is listening - Stretty's is good enough to be in that World Cup side."

London United unveil new academy

London United have become the first BritLeague team ever to have their own club academy which will see youngsters coming in and hopefully getting a chance to play for the first team in the future.

The new North London academy was unveiled on Friday by manager Bobby Hutchinson and star midfielder Craig CraiCo.

London United chairman Paul Wilkinson said: "Our aim for future is to blood new players from this academy and turn them into superstar footballers."

"We're a big club and we're going places."

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United name Macdonald captain

London United manager Bobby Hutchinson has named John Macdonald as his new club captain.

Kevin Warhurst has also been named vice-captain and Craig CraiCo has been named third-choice.

This news comes as a surprise to many as Macdonald, 22, has only played two seasons of pro football with United since being recruited in early 2008.

But the young centre-back's quality caught England manager Marco Garibaldi's eye almost immediately and he went on be a regular for the England side, becoming one of the eleven heroes who beat Spain 1-0 in the EuroCup '08 final.

The United armband was vacant since Mark Strickland shockingly quit the club in favour of Real Birmingham, last month.

London Derby to be shown in 3D

The momentous clash between rivals London Town and London United on 14 March will make history as TOTV will screen it live on 3D in selected pubs up and down the country.

This move follows the Premier League match from Sunday 31 January as Manchester United defeated Arsenal 3-1 on Sky Sports in the first ever 3D broadcast of sporting event.

Last year, London Town stole the BritLeague crown from London United, who held it for the previous two years.

And both teams share the same stadium - HMV Park, making the clash more exciting.

US star Perry completes Lightning move

Leeds Lightning have snapped up USA captain Jimmy-Jack Perry for £7million from Baltimore Blues.

The 27-year-old defender, who skippered the Blues to two US Premier League titles, has reportedly signed on a four-year deal with the Lightning and says he has fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing in England.

"This is dream come true for me, playing in the BritLeague," said Perry in his first press conference.

"Meeting the chairman, the manager and all my new team-mates for the first time was a big, big thrill."

As part of the deal, out of favour defender Jamie Hutchinson has been sent on loan to the Blues, who currently lead the US Premier League table.

United announce Tweed capture

London United have signed England defender Steven Tweed from Newcastle Geordies for £21 million.

The 22-year-old has put pen to paper on a four-year contract with the CSA Champions League holders.

Phantoms' Howard ready to rock

Leicester Phantoms new striker Shane Howard says he cannot wait to face London Town, as the he and the club make their BritLeague bow on March 5th against the defending champions.

"Making your debut away to the champions is a dream come true," says Howard.

"It's a month and a half away, so still a long time."

Phantoms manager Iain Greenwood-Smith says his players have bonded well in training camp as the Phantoms play their first game ever in a pre-season friendly against CSA England Championship (third-tier of the English CSA football pyramid) side Chiswick.

And Howard, who flourished for Chiswick this season, scoring 18 goals in 2009-10, says the friendly was arranged as part of his transfer.

And he has also dismissed talks that he will fail to adapt to the BritLeague, saying: "I'm ready for the challenge. I'm ready to play with the big boys."

"As expansion team, people expect us to do rather poorly, but come the opener at HMV Park, we hope we can prove them wrong as the season progresses."