HUTCHISON VALE under-13s can rightly claim to be the "best in Britain" in their age group after winning the inaugural Tesco British Cup in Bolton.

The team from the famous Edinburgh nursery club proved to be the best youth club football side in Scotland recently, lifting the Dunfermline Building Society Scottish Cup after beating Hillwood Boys' Club (Glasgow) in the Scottish Youth Cup final in Airdrie.

Now, however, this brilliant young Edinburgh side, beaten only once this season, have returned from the Reebok Stadium in Bolton in triumph after beating English representatives Percival (London) 2-1 in the final of the first British Champions Cup.

Ecstatic coach Malcolm McKenzie, still trying to come to terms with his team's success in a tournament that included national trophy-winning teams from England, Ireland and Wales, spoke about this wonderful boost for the Hutchison Vale club and Scottish Youth Club Football, saying: "Best in Scotland, now best in Britain, you can't beat that."

Vale, however, will look back on a goal scored by Jack Verth in the last few seconds of their semi-final against Linfield, from Northern Ireland, as the one that set them up for this fabulous success.

Verth scored with only 13 seconds left to play to square the game at 1-1 and Vale went on to outshoot their Irish opponents 4-2 in a penalty decider.

Chris McLeod, Jack Verth (again), Andy Togneri and Connor Devaney were spot on in the penalty shoot-out to set up a final clash against the team from north London.

The tournament was spoiled by a terrible rainstorm in Lancashire that turned Bolton Wanderers' pitch into a mudbath, and the Vale coach added: "The state of the pitch dictated the way the games were played. You could not pass the ball in the wet conditions and our team did not get the chance to show how well they can play passing football.

The 27-year-old Frenchman had impressed on a short-term deal last season.

"I especially like the way Scotland is different from France. Here they love football, they love the team. In France they don't really care," he said.

"They don't have the passion. In France, when we think about football in the United Kingdom, we know there is passion," he told the club website.

INVERNESS Caley Thistle ended their season on a high with a 1-0 win away to Dunfermline and Barry Wilson then begged the club's stars not to make it their last game for the Highland outfit.

Former boss Craig Brewster is expected to raid his former club over the summer in a bid to turn around his struggling Dundee United side.

And while there is little doubt that the Tannadice club would be in a position to offer the players far more lucrative financial terms, Wilson is hoping that the progress Caley have made over the past couple of seasons will persuade them to stay.

"This club has been great to people in the past and has never stood in anyone's way if they need to move on and better themselves financially.

"United would fall into that category - but I don't think there's any question that we are a better side than them.

"I'm certainly not trying to be controversial. It's a fact that for two seasons we've finished above them.

Dunfermline moved into ninth place in the Bank of Scotland Premier League as Freddy Daquin capitalised on a Garry Kenneth mistake to condemn injury-hit Dundee United to a 1-0 defeat, their sixth successive loss.

Tannadice manager Craig Brewster was without six first-team regulars through injury in addition to the suspended Barry Robson, and his young team would have taken a first-half lead but for the profligacy of Collin Samuel.

With 12 minutes remaining, though, Daquin gleefully accepted his invitation to shoot - and his goal saw the Pars reclaim their highest league placing this season.

Having won only once since Brewster arrived from Inverness in January, United were eager to impress in their final home game of the season - and they created the first chance when Craig Samson's lengthy punch was gathered by Stuart Duff in the centre of the pitch.

The 24-year-old confidently drove forward before flighting a deft cross towards Jim McIntyre, but the United captain headed just wide of Allan McGregor's right-hand post from 10 yards.

Two minutes later, the home side came even closer to taking the lead when McIntyre's clipped delivery found Samuel stationed inside the Pars area. But from point-blank range the Trinidad and Tobago striker's powerful header was brilliantly saved by the alert McGregor.

United continued to enjoy the majority of the possession without seriously threatening the visitors' goal, until Samuel received a cushioned pass from Greg Cameron 25 yards out and forced McGregor into another good save - this time low to the goalkeeper's right.

Dunfermline finally managed to register a shot on target in the 21st minute when Mark Burchill capitalised on a mistake from Kenneth - but Samson was equal to the in-form forward's drive from a tight angle.

David Fernandez made his presence felt for the first time 11 minutes before the interval.

The Spaniard intelligently weighted a defence-splitting through ball to Samuel, but from an acute angle six yards from goal the former Falkirk forward saw his shot blocked by the feet of McGregor.

United started the second half with long-distance shots from Ross Gardiner and Charlie Mulgrew which flashed just wide - before Daquin wasted a good chance for the visitors, placing a poor effort wide of the far post after good work be Arron Labonte.

The hosts were then unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when Gary Mason appeared to pull down Fernandez six yards from goal as the duo were jostling to get on the end of a Mulgrew cross.

With 19 minutes remaining, Burchill missed a good opportunity to finally break the deadlock - shooting straight at Samson from the edge of the box.

But United did not heed the warning and conceded the winning goal seven minutes later.

Kenneth failed to clear a loose ball under pressure 10 yards from goal, and Daquin profited - curling a wonderful effort into the top corner of Samson's goal to steal a win for the Pars.

The UEFA Cup is handed over to the Dutch city of Eindhoven, and in preparation for hosting this season's final, golden memories of 1978 will come flooding back.

It was on 9 May 1978 that local side PSV Eindhoven established themselves as a major force in European football as they beat SC Bastia 3-0 at the Philips stadium - the venue for this season's final - to win the UEFA Cup, following a goalless draw in the first leg in Corsica two weeks earlier.

 By that time, PSV had already broken the cast-iron grip that the big clubs from the west of the Netherlands - Feyenoord  and AFC Ajax - held on the Dutch title by winning the Eredivisie in 1974/75 and 1975/76, but in taking the UEFA Cup, they announced their presence to the whole continent.

With the final being contested over two legs in those days, PSV had not enjoyed an easy time in the opening fixture against Bastia. Heavy rainfall turned the first leg into a boring show. But the second leg, however, was much more one-sided, and with the elements no longer blocking their route to goal, PSV shone with Willy van de Kerkhof, Gerrie Deijkers and Willy van der Kuylen finding the target as they secured a famous victory in front of 27,000 fans.

With Feyenoord  and  Ajax  both having won major European competitions in the early 1970s, PSV were the third Dutch club to triumph in UEFA competition, and added to their trophy cabinet by winning the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1987/88 before reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2004/05.

The memories of that first success back in 1978 will be celebrated as 2004/05 UEFA Cup, against all the Sportsbooks odds. Winners of last year’s cup PFC CSKA Moskva hand the trophy to Eindhoven, with goal scorers Van de Kerkhof and Van der Kuylen in attendance. Sadly Deijkers died of heart failure at the age of 56 back in October 2003.

Deijkers' story was an odd one. He had played as a defender in previous seasons but coach Kees Rijvers - who will also be at the handover - decided to hand him a chance to become a striker as PSV were having attacking problems in 1977/78. He went on to score 18 league goals and six in the UEFA Cup that season.

While Deijkers will be missed at the ceremony at the Evoluon building in Eindhoven, plenty of other PSV stars of 1978 will be there to make up the numbers. Among them will be Willy's twin brother René van de Kerkhof, Jan Poortvliet, Adri van Kraay and Kees Krijgh all eager to get their hands on the trophy again.