SOCCER-MAD pupils are not content with just watching the world's greatest football tournament on TV.

They have organised their own World Cup at their Horwich school.

But their players are a little less agile than the real stars -- because they are all made of wood.

Youngsters at Rivington and Blackrod High School borrowed a teacher's table football game and have split into 32 teams to play for the prestigious title, and raise cash for charity at the same time. Sam Taylor, aged 12, said: "I think England are going to win the proper World Cup, but I don't know which team is going to win our version. It's going to be a close."

England will face South Korea, Costa Rica and Portugal in the tabletop contest.

The pupils hope to run their competition in line with the real event and have enlisted a squad of supporters wearing all of the teams' colours.

Teacher Gwen Bishop, who owns the table football game, said: "More than 60 children are playing and they're more excited about our competition than the World Cup in Japan.

"My own children were a bit disappointed when I took the game into school, but they didn't mind when I told them it was for a good cause.

"The pupils are paying 50p for every game and all the money will go to the Anthony Nolan Trust to help children with leukaemia."