THERE will be "pandemonium" if a Bradford pub football side wins a national final at the home of the beloved sport this weekend, according to one of the team's players.

Newline FC, based out of the micropub with the same name in Greengates, will turn out at Wembley on Sunday with the hope of lifting silverware after 90 minutes or more.

The team are battling it out to be named champions of the BT Sport Pub Cup, having already lifted a trophy for winning one of two regional semi-final tournaments on August 1.

There were 40 teams at the beginning of the day, playing against each other in 7-a-side matches in Manchester.

That was whittled down to two finalists - Newline FC and The Holmcroft Pub, in Stafford, who came head-to-head in an all or nothing match; the winners heading to Wembley.

Newline FC came through in the most dramatic of circumstances, winning when their opponents missed their final spot kick in a tense penalty shootout.

Corey Mastrantuono, who is injured but has been the main organiser for the club, said: "When we went to Manchester, it was just for a good day out, part of pre-season, with no expectations of winning it.

"It wasn't until we got through the semi-finals that we thought, we're 16 minutes away from Wembley."

The feat is all the more magnificent given Newline FC is in the infancy of its life.

They set-up in 2020 and were due to lift the Division 1 title, in the club's first season in the Bradford Sunday Alliance Football League.

But the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to that - despite them being six points clear at the top - and Mr Mastrantuono feels the club can be vindicated by winning on Sunday.

Newline FC will face-up against The Victoria, from Brighton, who won the other regional semi-final tournament, in a normal 11-a-side match.

The sides play just a day after Leicester City and Manchester City vie to get their hands on the Community Shield at the same stadium and Mr Mastrantuono admits it will be strange being in the same changing rooms.

He said there will be "pandemonium", if the side manage to bring the trophy back to Bradford.

Mr Mastrantuono added: "Jesus Christ, if we actually win at Wembley.

"We're a group of mates from Bradford who set-up a team because we wanted to play every Sunday.

"It's the stuff of dreams".

"We're confident, excited, but very nervous - everyone is just buzzing.

"I've been speaking, the coach back from London will be a lot better if we get a bit of silverware behind us.

"Now we've got to the final, we want to go win it."

The team, made up of lads from Idle, Eccleshill, Thorpe Edge and Greengates, are being backed by fellow Bradfordians too.

Mr Mastrantuono said: "We put it all over Facebook and the support has been unreal.

"There were 15,000 views on Facebook.

"Other local teams, Idle FC, Wrose Bull, were all saying, 'go smash it boys'.

"That sense of support, we want to win it for the local area."