FOOTBALL fever gripped Basingstoke town centre at the weekend when mothers and daughters took on fathers and sons in a mini-world cup football tournament to publicise Father's Day.

France had their chance of revenge over Senegal but it was the might of South America which won out in the end with Paraguay running off with first prize, the table football table, won by father and son, both named Giseppe Agozzino.

Father and son Nick and Paul Wiseman, from Oakley, who were representing Cameroon, were feeling very confident before their game with Ireland in Queen Anne's Square.

"We will thrash them because we have just seen them play and I like an attacking game," was their prediction before the game. However, they could not stay the course until the end of the tournament.

Referee and compere Andy Jay kept a beady eye out for foul play and said that one or two players were blatantly "spinning" - a cardinal sin in this game.

The whole event - which had the backing of The Walks shopping centre - was organised to promote Father's Day by Wave length Sound system and Messaging PI.

Kim Phillips, a spokesman for Messaging, said: "It was a very good-spirited event. There was no vandalism and the fans were very well behaved!"