2008 Tournament

The Big Match

On 15th August 2008, Brewer Morris organised an afternoon of 5-a-side football on London’s Southbank. Ten teams from nine firms of lawyers, accountancy practices and in-house departments (as listed below) paid an entrance fee which was donated to the children’s cancer charity, CLIC Sargent, and entered our inaugural competition. The teams were divided into two pools of five teams and the winners and runners-up of each pool then played each other in the semi-finals to achieve the right to contest the trophy in the final and be crowned champions – alternatively they might have been doing it for an afternoon out of the office with a promise of a drink at the end of it!

The Contestants

It soon became clear that although abilities were mixed, there was a definite competitive edge to the afternoon and those teams who had brought larger squads with substitutes held a distinct advantage during the heat of the afternoon.  In glorious sunshine, the group games unfolded and with tense finishes in both pools, the number one spot and the all important seeding for the semi-final was still up for grabs until the final match.  A mix of male and female participants contested the matches fiercely, but in a good spirit which led to a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon for all involved.

The Results

Gradually, as the afternoon wore on, the results started to stack up on the scoreboard and the teams that were likely to appear in the finals became clearer. Eventually – after much running, tackling and shouting- the winners of each league were announced as HW Fisher and Diageo.

I must admit that my money was on Diageo – as brewers of Guinness ("it’s good for you") they were certainly a physically intimidating team. However, perhaps it was the pre-match pep-talk by media group tax partner and team manager – Martin ‘the gaffer’ Taylor – or perhaps it was simply that they finally saw fame and glory within their grasp; but whatever the reason, HW Fisher ran out five-nil winners. Maintaining the Great British tradition of fair-play there were cheers all round for the gallant losers and it was now all over except for the excuses, recriminations and the prize-giving ceremony. Taxation Magazine, which co-sponsored the event, was proud to have provided a trophy which HW Fisher accepted with all due modesty.

It was then back to Doggetts’ public house for the traditional post-match analysis and drinks in the sunshine, on a private balcony with spectacular views over the river.

So near and yet…

I didn’t hear any of the other teams announcing that they were ‘sick as parrots’ at having lost, but some well-worn phrases did start to make an appearance as the teams mellowed over a drink.

I am not sure from whom we first heard the phrase "it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part", but joking aside this did seem to sum up the afternoon – with everyone agreeing that they were happy to have taken part and planning the strategy for next year.

By and large the excuses were good natured and perhaps we should spare blushes by keeping these anonymous. One analysis sounded very professional; "pre-season hasn’t gone well and we were carrying a lot of injuries"; but "we were robbed" also figured on several occasions!

The professional referees Paul Chick and Steve Edwards who oversaw the afternoon’s games pronounced that the matches had been played in the right spirit – with the teams being friendly and good humoured. Naturally, the HW Fisher team were perhaps the most good humoured at the end of the afternoon and in the pub were in a celebratory mood and already discussing where the award would sit on their trophy cabinet!

The team; David Clouston (captain), Mike Block (top scorer – I was advised that experience shows), Ajay Jasal, Andy Levett, Martin ‘the rock’ Smith, Paul Tunnicliffe and Krzysztof Wach, all seemed very pleased with their accomplishment.

Post-Match Analysis

From our point of view, the afternoon was a great success, with a good mix of commercial departments, law firms and accountancy practices taking part.
Everyone seemed to very much enjoy it, and all have promised to come back and compete for the coveted trophy next year. It was great to see so many teams taking part in the inaugural competition, helping us to support CLIC Sargent, our chosen charity which helps children with cancer.

We are now looking forward to hosting another event in August 2009 and urge those keen to participate to get into training and contact us as soon as possible to register your team.

The 2008 Teams:

  • Diageo
  • McGrigors
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers
  • Smith & Williamson (1)
  • Taylor Wessing
  • HW Fisher
  • PKF
  • Paul Hastings
  • Smith & Williamson (2)
  • Unilever

Photos 

 
 

  

The Cause:

CLIC Sargent - Caring for children and young people with cancer and their families - in hospital and in the community. To find out more about CLIC Sargent, please visit their website at www.clicsargent.org.uk

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