It's a grand sand view

Take 500-odd tonnes of sand and a motley collection of builders and dump them both in the centre of Hyde Park. The result? A distinctly unglamorous warm-up act for professional beach football.

Londoners needn't be put off, however. The builders were only taking a break from putting up the stands around the sand pitch before the arrival of a more recognisable pair of footballing legs, those of Manchester United legend Eric Cantona.

He is the star of this weekend's Kronenbourg Cup, which sees England play France, Spain and Switzerland as part of the European Professional Beach Soccer League.

But before the teams can take to the field, sorry, beach, the builders have to get back to work. They've been bolting together the 4,000-seater stands near South Carriage Drive since last Thursday and are now putting the final touches to the food and drink marquees.

It's heavy work and one rotund builder chose to give the impromptu lunchtime kickabout a miss, preferring to conserve his energies, kick off his boots and lie back in the sun while his mates practised their volleys and over-head shots. "I don't play football," he said, taking a swig from a can of fizzy pop. To be fair, it takes a surprising amount of effort to kick a football around a beach. As the game progresses, the surface is increasingly churned up, making passing impossible. Players then need to keep the ball in the air but it all adds to the excitement.

With five barefoot players a side and an unlimited number of substitutions allowed from a squad of 10, it's a high-scoring, fast-paced game played over three twelve-minute periods.

And with players like Cantona, ex-Spurs and Liverpool star Paul Walsh and former Spanish international Julio Salinas taking part, organisers are hoping the tournament will raise the game's profile.

Their ultimate aim is to see it included in the Olympics alongside beach volleyball. The players aren't quite as attractive, but the principle is the same.

Cantona himself maintains that beach soccer deserves such recognition. "It's a real sport, not a show sport," he said. "You have to be very fit. The French team train every day."

Cantona discovered beach soccer through his brother Joel, who played in Brazil while Eric was at Old Trafford. Together they have set up a company to establish a beach soccer cup competition in France.

Cantona told the Evening Standard: "It is a wonderful lifestyle, it is always summer. When it is winter in Europe we travel in Dubai, Brazil and Thailand."

A warm weekend is forecast in London and tournament organisers hope to bring a taste of that lifestyle to Hyde Park. A calypso band will perform and music is played during matches, which culminate with England v France on Sunday afternoon. There are even beach dancers who perform during games.

Winners of the Hyde Park leg of the European tournament, to be broadcast on Sky TV, will go on to play in the finals in Monaco in September. Kick-offs are - Friday:

2.30pm Spain v France, 4.30pm England v Switzerland. Saturday:

2.30pm France v Switzerland, 4pm England v Spain. Sunday: 2.30pm Spain v Switzerland, 4pm England v France. Tickets cost £15, under-11s £10, family ticket (two adults and two children) £40; on the day or from ticket hotline on 0870 738 9000.