Luddenham School crowned local winners
On Thursday 11 May, the Gillingham FC Community Trust teamed up with Faversham Strike Force FC to run a football tournament for local primary schools.
Five Faversham-based schools took part in the tournament, hoping for the chance to win the trophy and some Gills prizes too! The tournament was set up to create more sports participation opportunities for local pupils, while strengthening the links between the Trust, Strike Force FC, and schools in the area.
Joining the Gills on the day were teams from St Mary of Charity, Selling C of E, Sheldwich, Luddenham, and Davington Primary School. The tournament was set up so that all schools played each other once in a mini league. The top two teams with the most points then played for first and second place, while the third and fourth-placed teams also played each other again to determine their position.
All five teams were raring to go, and there was a real friendly competitive spirit to the tournament, with excellent teamwork and sportsmanship displayed by each school. Throughout the matches, Gills coaches saw a number of great goals, and there was some fantastic talent on display across all school teams.
After an energetic tournament, Luddenham School were crowned the eventual winners, coming from second place in the group stage to win against St Mary of Charity in an exciting final!
Runners up St Mary of Charity could hold their heads high too, having come top of the group stage with three wins out of four, and holding the record for the most goals scored and least goals conceded.
There were more Gills prizes to be won on the day too. "Goal of the Day" was awarded to Selling C of E Primary School for a fantastic team goal, where a corner ball was met by a glancing header to loop it over the opposing keeper. Luddenham's keeper then took home the "Save of the Day" after a fantastic double save which kept the team in second place in the group stage to take them to the final.
Gillingham FC Community Trust Coach Dan Blewett, who ran the tournament, said of the event; "We've really enjoyed having a number of schools in the Faversham area joining us for this fun football tournament! Running tournament's like this is one of the ways we hope to bring more sporting opportunities to schools in the local area – it's a great way to give teams a chance to practice their skills and play in a friendly, competitive environment.
"We're also pleased to be continuing to build our link with Faversham Strike Force FC to provide more opportunities and pathways for aspiring young players."
Faversham Strike Force FC's Lee Suter said of the day; "The primary school tournament was a wonderful opportunity for the club to engage with pupils and teachers, and showcase the club's facilities and ethos. While we had a number of existing Strike Force players on show, it was great to see players that have not yet joined a football club enjoying the game.
We hope that through the tournament and link with the Gillingham FC Community Trust, more young players will now make the transition from school football to our club environment."
Well done to all of the schools who attended the tournament, and congratulations to winners Luddenham School!
Want to join the footballing fun with the Gills? Book a place at one of our Gills Soccer Schools! Sessions run every half-term at a number of venues across Kent, including in the Swale region. Find out more about our upcoming sessions here.
