TALENTED young footballers are being sought for an under-12 team named in honour of the comedy legend Frank Muir.

Frank Muir Lions FC is based on the field named after him in Thorpe, where he lived until his death in 1998.

Nathan Wharf, the club chairman, has been involved in managing teams in the area for many years and he and Russell Warden decided to set up a team in the village and found that the Frank Muir Memorial Field was available.

“I got in touch with Frank’s son Jamie and asked him if we could use the name for the team and he said his ‘Papa’ would have been over the moon,” Nathan said.

The Muir family lived in Thorpe from the early 1950s and Jamie and his younger sister Sally, who co-owns the upmarket Muir and Osborne knitwear design company, grew up in the village.

Frank Muir was heavily involved in the community, including setting up the Thorpe Players amateur dramatic society in 1953.

Jamie Muir told the News & Mail: “My sister Sally and I are so pleased that the field in Thorpe named in honour of our dad Frank Muir, who lived in the village for over forty years, has become the home ground of Frank Muir Lions FC.  

“We hope the team goes on to great things.”

Nathan said the team’s colours are purple and gold, in tribute to Muir’s appearance in Cadbury’s TV adverts.

“Purple is a symbol of strength and the name ‘Lions’ reflects that as well and so we thought they go well together,” Nathan said.

He said the team is going through the FA procedures and hoping to have two teams by the start of the next season in September.

“At the moment, it’s under-12s, for boys and girls, but in the future we hope to progress and bring on more teams,” Nathan said.

Nathan runs a groundworks company, while others involved in running the team are solicitors and surveyors.

“We have a few backers and sponsorship from Talk Talk from one of the dads. We are providing the goals and the council will maintain the pitch.”

Nathan is preparing a planning application for a wood-cladded building with changing rooms and toilets.

Frank Muir Lions FC is planning to run an open day later this month or early July with celebrity guests including Jamie and Sally Muir.