WORCESTER PARKINSON/NEURO FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT 25/6/23
Birmingham Team: Andy Hobbs, Hassan Gallehdar, Peter Grimshaw Capt., Phil Smith, Ian Kennedy, John Sheriden, Steve Hughes, Barry Butterworth, Robbie Wood
On a lovely sunny day, we arrived for meet& greet, we met our hosts Jess, Izzy, Stuart, and Simon.
After the tournament brief, we all assembled pitch side for team group draw.
We then found out our opponents were Abbeymead and Movers & Shakers Blues.
1st Game: We started well pressing high, their keeper playing well making some fine saves/blocks to keep BIRMINGHAM AT BAY. We eventually got the goal; our pressure resulted in a well taken goal from Barry after some fine ball play from Steve and Hassan. Andy had a quiet start in goal with Birmingham pressing high; Phil, Peter (Capt.) holding firm in defence. Woody, John, and Ian sec. half subs continuing to keep shape as Birmingham held on for a good 1 – 0 win!
2nd Game: We were up against a good Movers & Shakers Blue who won their first match 3 – 0. This team included our own England Player Simon Forrest. Both teams probed each other for a breakthrough, this eventually went to Birmingham after some good work by Steve and Pete to set up Barry for our opening goal. We then settled down to play some good, controlled football. Second half we came out quite strong and grew in confidence, our second goal came from a well worked freekick between Barry & Ian resulting in a fine strike from Ian into bottom corner (good strike) to see out the game 2 – 0 winners! Topping the group.
Lunch at the time was needed for players to take top up medication. This is when our players started to feel tiredness creeping in. All players were given a sandwich pack kindly provided by Worcester organisers.
Semi Final: When games resumed Birmingham had a Semi Final v Pioneers Ladies. We were set up well, but from the first whistle the boys seemed to struggle, the ladies were a lot more mobile & younger, and it started to show as the game went on. We thought there was a lot of non-walking and contact in the game which went un-noticed by the official. Pioneers kept pressing resulting in Andy making a good stop with the ball bouncing off his body well inside the area, a Pioneer player two feet inside the marker disc (area) kicked the ball against Andy resulting in looping over him into the net. Waiting for the ladies to finish celebrating, we expected the goal to be disallowed and a free kick awarded for encroachment in the area. To everyone’s surprise the goal was allowed to stand. From then on, they were never going to lose. We had 3 / 4 good efforts on goal, however, some bad luck, players meds. Wearing off and decisions going against us, with their keeper being very agile and saving everything, we ended the game losing 1-0
We had one more game to play against Movers & Shakers Blue. This time they were too strong for us as Birmingham players were ‘shot` mainly through meds having worn off and tiredness. However, we cracked on with the game but not being able to perform as well as in the earlier games, were well beaten as we couldn’t match the Shakers quick passing, With Simon running the show and a guest Worcester team Ladies player who scored 2 cracking goals even though I thought little bit of not walking for 1st goal game finished lost at 3 – 0.
Overall, it was a wonderful day and fantastic organisation from our hosts Worcester neuro, Movers & Shakers, Jess, Izzy, Simon, Stuart and all the volunteers who made everyone feel welcome.
And a big THANK YOU to the officials; Stuart our own Eng. men’s 60’s Manager and the other referee for giving up his time (whatever his decisions).
SUMMARY AFTER A LONG DAY AND SOME GREAT FOOTBALL THE TOURNAMENT WAS WON BY
WOW FC V PIONEERS 2 – 1
MATCH REPORT BY BIRMINGHAM PARKINSON TEAM MANAGER
BRENDAN
