THE STI Midland Junior Premier Football League hosts its first ever Open Day at Hinckley United's new ground, the Marston Stadium on Sunday, April 17.

The league, comprised of junior teams from Midlands non-league clubs aged between 12 and 16 is coming to the close of a first successful season - and is seeking to expand.

Some 160 clubs down to level five of the pyramid have been invited to join the MJPFL, which has offered hundreds of junior players across the region a platform to develop their skills against players from fellow clubs.

Fourteen Nationwide Conference and Southern League clubs have participated in this first season of the league including Hereford United, Worcester City, Tam-worth, Kettering Town, Gloucester City, Hinckley United, Redditch United, Cam-bridge City, Evesham United, Rugby United, Bromsgrove, Banbury United and Brackley Town.

The league has raised the quality of competition for clubs and created a clear pathway for talented players to progress from local junior football to semi-professional clubs and beyond.

Competing clubs must provide qualified coaching, medical and welfare provision for players and develop links with local Charter Standard junior clubs.

All players, coaches, officials and spectators will meet the FA code of Conduct, especially child protection policy.

The Open Day will include a welcome at 1pm by league president, Cyrille Regis and presentations from chairman Bob Marley and the league's head of sports medicine and injury prevention, Dr Ralph Rogers.

There will a coaches coaching demonstration by Stuart Hall, Birmingham City FC's Academy director, a question and answer session about the league and the day will culminate with the Under-12s League Cup final between Bromsgrove Rovers and Evesham United.