ALL eyes turned to the sky as a Sunday league team celebrated a hat-trick of promotions with an open top bus parade and a flyover banner.

Duckpond FC spent approximately £1,400 on the bus and plane carrying the message Duckpond FC – Champions of Essex after their success in the Colchester and District Sunday League Division One last season.

The Harwich-based side, who are named after Cox’s Pond in the town, wanted to do something bigger and better after their original open top bus tour last year.

“It was a brilliant day and having the plane made it ten times better than the one before,” said player, manager and founder Michael Hammond.

“Everyone knew what we were going to do and the way we celebrate things after last year and people came out to cheer and give us a wave.

“The idea for the flyover just popped into my head and it all came from there.

“I asked the lads to chip in with £60 each and then I made up the rest as a bit of an end of season treat because it is important to celebrate properly when you do well.

“There are actually only four pilots in Britain who can do this sort of job so we were lucky to get him and fortunately the weather held because if it is cloudy or windy then they would not have been able to do it.”