| 'Championees, championees, olé, olé, olé.'
Hello Kick N Mixers, it's Mat here.
I promised a few weeks ago that I'd update you on how our grand 30/35-year reunion tournament went, so here I am: We won!
My team lifted the inaugural Netherton Colts Old Farts Cup and it was glorious.
More than three decades on from when we were floppy-haired teenagers with the world at our feet we finally kept those half-hearted Facebook promises and staged a long overdue get-together, on an astroturf pitch bolted onto the side of Warley Rugby Club, in Oldbury, West Midlands.
Nine of the original Colts players from back in the day (from 1987 under-9s to 2000 open age) breathed in our bellies and dusted off the ankle supports to roll back the years.
Our organiser-in-chief, Ant, managed to get about 20 willing footballers along in total (bolstered by a load of his workmates from Midtherm Laser in Dudley), meaning we could play a four-team five-a-side tournament.
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With the help of a couple of younger ringers to make up the numbers and provide a bit of substitute respite, Netherton 90s and 80s defeated Midtherm Lasers A and B in the semis to set up an all Colts final with my 90s team edging a high-scoring final.
My personal highlights were notching three goals (I'm still waiting for Ant to share the Go-Pro video evidence) and, erm, basically not collapsing! Other moments of note included a delightful backheel from my builder mate Mitch that Alessia Russo would have been proud of. Alas, he knackered his hamstring in the process and had to hobble through the rest of the action, but still made it to the bar afterwards.
Rakesh, a long-term friend who now coaches my son's under-15s Colts team, practised what he preaches with a marauding run and slightly spawny finish in the final, while Chris, our former goalie recovered from breaking the 'no slide tackle rule' within the first 30 seconds to smash in a screamer.
Ant, who is 44 going on 14, put us all to shame by somehow managing to play all four games (including a third and fourth place play-off), having a foot in both the Netherton and Midtherm camps.
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There were parents, spouses, kids and other friends and family there to support us and we attacked the beers and the buffet much more clinically than we did the football as the reunion rolled on late into the night.
It wasn't just a lot of misty-eyed old men reminiscing about the good old days. Thanks to the generosity of Ant's boss at Midtherm, other local businesses and the hard work of his colleagues including Hayley and Lucy we were able to raise around 1,500 quid for Birmingham Children's Hospital.
Greggs, West Midlands Safari Park, Birmingham Glee Club, Monmore Green, West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Grand, ReTwisted Hair Design, Luna Cinema and Daniel James Photography all donated raffle prizes.
"I was speaking to Rakesh, who runs the U15s now, at a kids tournament and he happened to mention it had been 30 years since Netherton hosted their last tournament," said Ant.
"I was thinking that must have been us and I confirmed that with my Dad and thought we'll have to do something.
"Another of the lads, Chris, mentioned it's been 35 years since we first started training together, so it was about time we got back together.
"There's a few aching muscles and joints but we all had fun and it was brilliant to get back on a pitch together and raise money for an important cause."
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Lurking in our private Facebook group there's a celebratory video of us jumping up and down like fools with our medals round our necks and the trophy in our hands during the beer garden presentation ceremony.
Ant Lewis, Rak Patel, Mitch Gennard, Chris Evans, Lloyd Anderson, Phil Barnsley, Jason Blakeway, Gavin Mills, whose late Dad, Alan used to manage the team, and Jason Barton, who turned up to watch, it was a pleasure to see you all.
Look after your team-mates, kids. They can be your friends for life, as we'll prove all over again next year with plans to make the Old Farts Cup an annual event.
'Championees, championees...' was the chant.
'Champi ow my knees' would probably be more appropriate!
Mat |
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