PLAYING like a hairdresser may be an insult flung at flagging footballers on the pitch, but for scissor wielders in Swindon it's not such a bad thing to do.

Staff from Goldsworthy's salon on Catherine Street recently took the title at the Fellowship for British Hairdressing¹s charity five-a-side football tournament at the Wembley Goals Centre, closely followed into the runners-up spot by the team from the Caroline Collis salon in Peatmoor.

The Goldsworthy's team progressed through the heats without dropping a match.

Twelve teams from all over the country took part.

Joshua Goldsworthy, team captain, said: "It was almost as tiring as a day in hairdressing as the five matches were so close together!

"But in the end it was definitely the two best teams in the final and both played superbly well with very little between them."

Among the Goldsworthy's squad were Joshua, Joe Herbert, Steve Cook, Alex Staley, Morgan Bisley, Matt Evans and Sam Ellwell with Steven Bedwell in goal.

This is the fourth year the fellowship has run the tournament, which raises money for a charity set up to support hairdressers who can no longer work due to accidents.

London-based Jamie Stevens who organises the tournament, was once a professional footballer and made the choice between that an a career in hairdressing.

With Swindon taking two of the top spots in the event, Jamie said: "The standard and sportsmanship was the best so far, and Swindon has produced footballers to be proud of."

The event was the first held by the fellowship since Steven Goldsworthy took on its presidency earlier this year, and the salon owner proudly presented his staff with the winners' trophy.

Joshua said: "It was very special for all of us from Swindon to be entering for the first time and then to actually receive the trophy from Steven Goldsworthy, my dad, during his first of two years as the president of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing."