A team of young footballers are keeping active with weekly challenges set by their coach.

There is one in particular, however, that has caught the imagination as Maryport Amateur Football Club’s U12s team play a virtual match using a toilet roll instead of a ball.

Lisa Douglas, club treasurer and wife of the team’s coach and manager, Stephen, said: “My husband saw a Barcelona youth team’s Instagram.They were doing keepy uppies with toilet roles

“I don’t know if there was a shortage of toilet paper there or if they were just mocking England but, anyway, his idea evolved from that.”

Each team member was filmed in his or her house and the video was put together by the couple’s teenage daughter, Lilly, 14.

“It has really caught on and other teams are doing similar things now.”

The couple have two children at home, Lilly and son Joe, 11.

“We are both key workers. I am the Maryport town clerk and go to work on a rota basis with the other clerk Paul Bramley.

“Stephen works for James Walker which is currently making parts for ventilators for the UK and for Italy.”

They work opposite shifts so there is always someone home for the children but she said they faced the same problems as any parents, trying to keep the children occupied.

Stephen, as coach, is issuing weekly challenges to his team.

“One week they had to see how many keepy uppies they could do. This week they are vying for the greatest number of headers between them and a parent.

“It is giving kids out there something extra to do, and they enjoy it more because it is a challenge. I know our children are enjoying it, too.”

A video of the virtual “toilet roll” match is available to view.