Hundreds of junior teams descended on Town Mead Leisure Park to take part in one of the country’s biggest community football days.

The Waltham Abbey venue played host to teams from Under-7 to Under-18 age groups as clubs took part in a number of tournaments.

Some 4,000 spectators were also in attendance for the McDonald’s Football Day, which was organised by franchisee owner John Loizou.

He had support from local club Ryan FC in doing so, and felt the day was a big success.

Loizou said: “It was great to see so many young players enjoying the event. It’s been great working alongside Ryan FC to make this such a success for the second summer in a row.

“We were delighted to see so many young, budding footballers come together, get outside and enjoy the great weather.”

The initiative is aimed at giving local players the chance to take part in competitive action.

For Loizou, the event provides a chance to nurture young talent and he praised the work of those who volunteered their time to help organise it.

He said: “The McDonald’s FA Community Days are a great opportunity to get local kids involved in grassroots football and show how essential the game is to communities.

“With the enthusiasm and commitment shown by the volunteers and coaches today, I’m sure we’ll find stars in some of these teams.”

The Community Football Day is organised as part of McDonald’s partnership with the FA and is celebrating its 15th anniversary.

The programme focuses on supporting accredited clubs and their volunteers to help improve the standard of grassroots football across the UK.

For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.co.uk/betterplay.