Football Festival 2008

This was a football tournament with a difference. It wasn't just for fit teenagers, though there were plenty of those. Teams had to include a player over 40 or under 14 and a female player. The emphasis was on fun and inclusion.

On the First Swift Centre 5-a-Side Festival some 13 teams competed.

Fast Birds, The Swift Centre Team
Baptistas from the joint team of Morden Baptist and Swift Centre
Gunners All Stars from The Memorial Community Church
NRG from the Tamil Church in Manor Park
The Mayor's 5
Disciples from St Bonaventure's School
Morden Youth Team
Elim Church in East Ham
Acorn FC
Kenya United, from the local Kenyan community in Newham
Iceni Surprise
Community Links, Hudsons' Project
Steve York's Team

In total there were 118 participants in the competition that required teams to be mixed in terms of age and gender. The games were 5-a-side with squads ranging in size from five to nine.

It was held on the astro-turf pitches at Brampton Manor School in freezing temperatures on Saturday November 1st.

The first round consisted of three mini-leagues. The top two teams from each group and the two highest runners up progressed to the knockout round. The teams that progressed to the quarter finals were:

East Ham Elim
Acorn FC
Fast Birds
Community Links (Hudson's Project)
Baptistas
Morden Youth
NRG
Steve York's Team

In a hard fought final between Elim and Acorn, Elim triumphed with a score of 9 - 5!

We hope that this will be the first in a series of annual football festivals and look forward to a bigger turnout of teams in 2009.

The following volunteers and club members helped on the day; Amalek, Andan, Carol, Cassie, Celine, Clive, Ruth, Daniel Crisp, Daniel Cox, Dominic, Georgie, Jamaal, Jerry, Julian, Kieran, Kevin, Mark, Matthew Crisp, Matthew Burnett, Max, Maxine, Paul, Pedro, Rosie, Sarah, Simeon, Tracy, Tim, Tyrone, Victoria.

Thanks to all of them.