Thousands of pounds have been raised for charities after a 24-hour football marathon was held.
More than 600 people took part in the event held at Watford FC’s Vicarage Road Stadium and at the club’s training ground in London Colney.
To date, £5,005 has been raised.
- Donations can still me made here https://bit.ly/3IF6MHt.
The money will go to the Watford Football Club Community Sports and Education Trust and international charity Humanity First.
Leah Crocket, the Trust’s events and marketing officer, said of the event: “Congratulations and thank you to all the players, team managers and spectators for playing their part in a wonderful two days of football and raising vital funds for two extremely good causes.
“Thank you must also go to our event sponsors WTW, our friends at AMYA UK, and of course, the many staff and volunteers who helped before and during the marathon, this would not have been possible without their support.”
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The round-the-clock challenge started on Saturday, May 20 at 9.45am at the Vicarage Road stadium.
Children between the ages of six and 11-years-old kicked off the event as they took to the pitch with their families watching on from the Sir Elton John stand.
There were two sessions that ran until 1pm in an activity referred to as Play Like a Pro, which included a home changing room tour.
A tournament was next on the schedule with mixed teams from across the under 11 and under 12 age groups competing on the pitch.
These included Garston Ladies, Hillingdon Abbots, Kings Langley FC, Macs, Parkfield, St Ives Rangers Girls, Watford Youth Sports, Wealdstone FC, and two teams from the Trust’s Premier League Kicks (PL Kicks) delivery in Cotlandswick and Meriden.
Parkfield went on to win the tournament.
With the focus being on younger footballers during the morning and early afternoon, it was then the turn of 16 to 18-year-olds.
The pitch markings changed to an 11 a side match as two of the Trust’s football and education programmes then took to the field, Westfield Football Academy versus Whitmore High School Football and Education Scheme.
With eight hours on the event clock, the players increased in age once again, with an adult tournament taking over for the final slot at Vicarage Road.
The football was played in good spirits with ten teams involved, including ‘The WTW Warriors’ representing event sponsors WTW.
Also involved were teams representing two further Trust programmes from their health and wellbeing department - Shape Up and Man On.
As the sun set on Vicarage Road, the event then made a transfer to Watford Football Club’s training ground.
The first action to take place in the training ground was a mini under 18s tournament organised by the Trust’s PL Kicks programme.
Joining the teams made up of players from the Cotlandswick and Meriden PL Kicks sessions, were Kinsbourne Youth and St Josephs. It was the latter who were winners of this tournament.
Then during the early hours of Sunday morning, event partner Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) UK took over, taking on the biggest slot with a range of players from across their association’s network.
Into the final stages and Croxley Green Under 7s and Universal Elite Football Academy Under 8s had their very own football session.
To bring the event to a close, players from the Trust’s Player Development Centres then took to the pitch.
The 24-hour football marathon then ended at midday.
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