SIX youngsters from youth football club Potters Bar Crusaders U10s rubbed shoulders with Sir Alex Ferguson and Mario Balotelli in the FA Cup semi-final between Manchester City and Manchester United.

SIX youngsters from youth football club Potters Bar Crusaders U10s rubbed shoulders with Sir Alex Ferguson and Mario Balotelli in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final between Manchester City and Manchester United.

The lucky lads were chosen as flag bearers for the much-anticipated Wembley clash, which City won 1-0.

The six boys were Will Morrall, Mason Dudrenec, Fabio De Luca, Edward Burt, Nathan Clark and Harry McGrath.

Potters Bar Crusaders was chosen by the Hertfordshire Football Association because of the club’s “excellent discipline record in only getting five bookings over the course of the season”.

The club is also a FA Charter Standard Club, which means it has successfully demonstrated to the Herts FA it has undertaken a series of measures of good practice.

The youngsters’ coach Matt Morrall, who is also the club’s secretary, said: “Some of them were nervous coming out in front of 90,000 people but they were excited and had a great day. It was the time of their lives.”

He said the boys saw Balotelli, suspended striker Wayne Rooney and United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in the tunnel prior to kick off.

Deciding who got to go to Wembley was a difficult decision to which there was only one solution.

“I picked names out of a hat for most of them,” said Matt.

He added: “One of the kids’ fathers supports Manchester City so I thought it was only fair he was allowed to go.”