(5 June 2006 2:00 pm)

MUMBAI: To mark the start of the World Cup on Friday UK pubcaster the BBC has announced that its Big Screen World Cup Tour in the UK is heading to the David Beckham Academy in Greenwich, East London for a special children's 'Welcome to the World Cup' party.

Around 500 local young players and their families will be invited to the academy to watch the opening ceremony and the first game from Munich on the big screen hosted by BBC Radio Five Live as Germany take on Costa Rica on Friday 9 June.

The big screen will be in the car park and open from 3.30 pm with an Opening Ceremony of children from the academy parading flags from all countries taking part.

There will also be a range of on-site entertainment including giant table football, football street theatre, an interactive virtual penalty shoot-out, the BBC Sport Academy 'Keepy Uppy' competition as well as face painters and cheerleaders.

BBC Live Events project director Bill Morris said, "This promises to be an exciting start to the BBC Big Screen World Cup Tour which is part of the BBC's offering for the World Cup.

"The screens will appear in towns and cities across the country every single day of the World Cup providing live coverage of the top match that day."

BBC Big Screen World Cup Tour sees two giant screens touring a range of sites from Guernsey to Glasgow and Preston to Peterborough and will set up in town squares, festival grounds and even a service station.

Radio Five Live's man Mark Clemmit will be in place to host screen one. Mark will link into Five Live as well as local radio stations giving fans an opportunity to voice their thoughts on the forthcoming match. BBC Sport will relay scenes from the big screens to fans watching at home

As well as catching all the action on a huge screen, there'll be family friendly entertainment including interactive games, crowd cams and the chance to text in comments and even give player ratings.