St Agnes AFC Veterans Tournament

[Mandy K Aggiemaid]

St Agnes AFC Veterans Tournament Sunday 10th July 2011

A heavy smell of Deep Heat hung around Enys Parc St Agnes as 10 teams of fine fit Veteran footballers warmed up for the first St Agnes AFC 6 aside Veterans Tournament on Sunday.

The competition took the form of a round-robin across two pitches with fiercely contested fixtures as the Veterans all aged 35 and over donned their boots and relived their younger sporting prowess - some for the first time in a very long time!

By lunchtime the cheers of of excitement and goalscoring were rapidly being replaced by groans of pain and moans of strain as the fitness levels and competition took its toll.

The event was organized by St Agnes Chairman Mandy Kimmins and Kate Hawker as a fundraiser for St Agnes AFC and the Lady Gladys Education Centre in Costa Rica a school set up by Kate Hawker's father John in memory of his mother Gladys Mitchell to provide education for poor children from the area.

The last match of the day saw Western Inn A face St Agnes Bolster Mpad in a thrilling final which ended in a penalty shoot out - Western A lifting the Tournament Winners Trophy. The Fair Play Trophy was awarded to St Agnes Veterans A Team.

The proceeds from the event which included a raffle and mini auction reached £762.50 which will be divided equally between St Agnes AFC and the Lady Gladys Education Centre.

Kate Hawker said,"I would like to thank everyone and especially Mandy for this fantastic event and for raising funds to support our school."

Mandy Kimmins replied with "What an amazing fun day! Thank you to everyone who played, supported, donated and helped to raise such a fantastic amount of money. We hope the school will now be able to use this money to help to finish building the football pitch in Costa Rica for the children to play on."

For more information, to donate or to get involved with the Lady Gladys Education Center in Costa Rica please contact Kate Hawker on 01872 553948 or check out the website www.educatingchildren.org and for further info on St Agnes AFC Veterans or other teams please contact Chairman Mandy Kimmins on 07974 370666 or via the club website www.stagnes-saints.co.uk.

There are rumours of a few players not making it to work on Monday and several with peculiar walking gaits around the parish - the pain was worth it boys - a great day - a great amount of money and requests to hold it again next year! (we will buy in some Deep Heat!)

Thank you! x

[Shut it Henry!]

It was a great day, even if we (Downderry) missed out on the semi's by a single point it was still thoroughly enjoyable.

My head's a bit sunburned, but that's what you get for shaving it the day before I suppose!

Thanks again to all involved in arranging it all.