FOOTBALLERS will tomorrow lace up their boots to boost the coffers of the county’s biggest street parade.

Organiser of the Cowley Road Carnival are busy preparing for this summer’s festival, which will take over the busy East Oxford thoroughfare on July 5.

Footballers from across Oxfordshire will come together tomorrow for the Aroma Cup Carnival to raise funds for the festivities.

Oxford City Council “events champion” Mark Lygo said the charity tournament was a “great fundraising opportunity” for the carnival.

He added: “The tournament is a great event because it gives local teams an opportunity to come together and socialise and an opportunity to win a cup.

“The Cowley Road Carnival is one of Oxford’s best events of the year, where people from all walks of life come together.

“We have such a diverse community and the carnival really celebrates that.”

Competitors will head out onto the pitches at Oxford Brookes University’s Headington Campus for the second Aroma Cup Carnival between 11am and 5pm.

Spectators will see 24 six-a-side teams, pulled together to represent football squads from all over the world, battle it for their chance of lifting the tournament’s World Cup.

Last year former England and Arsenal star Martin Keown presented the trophy to Oxford Football Club Barcelona, who beat the Saudi Arabia team 1-0 in the final.

Xhetan Bushi, owner of Cowley Road’s Bar Aroma and organiser of the tournament, said: “Last year 45,000 attended the Cowley Road Carnival which takes a lot of effort, organisation, funding and months of hard work.”

Revellers will descend on Cowley Road in July between noon and 5pm to celebrate this year’s special theme of “Creating Our Future”.

Cowley Road Works, the team behind the annual summer extravaganza, has so far raised more than £70,000 of their £120,000 target for the event.

The team are being supported by Oxford Brookes University, which has been named as one of the event’s lead sponsors, along with charity The Patsy Wood Trust.

Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council are also lending their support to the street festivities.

Cowley Road Works executive director Danielle Battigelli said: “Carnival is the one day that locals, families and visitors can suspend their day-to-day lives and become completely immersed in the variety of food, culture and music that can take you on a fascinating journey around the world.

“Carnival is the biggest and the most colourful day of the year, not just for the Cowley Road but for all Oxfordshire.”

Last year more than 45,000 people enjoyed the free event, with more than 700 taking part in the carnival’s procession, making it the biggest event to date.

More than 200 dancers and 270 musicians entertained the crowds at the 14 venues and 10 music stages which were part of the event.

* See cowleyroadcarnival.co.uk