2008 Football Marathon raises over £70,000!

Saturday 19th of July 2008 saw Tackle Africa's seventh annual Football Marathon, aimed at raising invaluable funds for the charity. Held this year on Clapham Common, the event represents Tackle Africa's single biggest annual fundraiser and a fantastic source of both funds and coaches for the following year's projects. Having grown year on year, 2008 proved to be the biggest, best and most successful yet! Over 250 players took part; representing 33 teams, playing 6435 minutes of football, spread over 363 games, scoring 950 goals - all fitted into a 12 hour tournament!

It was an early start on a bright Saturday morning as Tackle Africa trustees and volunteers arrived from 7am to set up 5-a-side football pitches and marquees. Unlike last year Clapham Common managed to avoid the rain, maintaining pleasant conditions (for an English summer.) The football officially kicked off at 8.30am, and continued throughout the day with both constant football, and team refereeing to ensure the spirit of fair play was (mostly!) maintained throughout the day.

Games started in the morning at a frenetic pace, with many teams appearing not to be pacing themselves for a long day of five-a-side football. Both the 8 physiotherapists and the 2000 litres of generously donated lucozade, vitamin water and water were a necessity to ensure the day's completion. Teams were engaged in two separate group stages, leading to a knock out stage and onto a final. With that much football and that many goals, it was beyond human ability that it could be run by a mere man, and genius volunteer Tim Dawes created the mother of all spreadsheets to hold it all together perfectly.

Despite such a long day of football, with an average of 35k run by each player, the final was as competitive, hard fought and full on as any game all day. The victory was fought between Real Madras and the Newcomers resulting in captain Steven Findlay collecting the World Cup for a second consecutive year on behalf of Real Madras. Who, on top of this victory they were also the top goal scoring team with 62 goals, and won the fund raising prize, with an astonishing £4468 raised. Therefore taking away with them tickets to England U21s vs. Portugal U21s at Wembley.

Tom Colborne, Tackle Africa trustee, goalkeeper in 3rd placed team Hardly Athletic and organiser of the Football Marathon commented after the event:

"This has been the best Football Marathon yet, with the highest number of players involved. Everything ran incredibly smoothly, and despite the agony everyone seemed to really enjoy the day. Most importantly the event will boost Tackle Africa's profile and raise vital funds so that we can help as many people as possible next year."

Ben Maitland, Tackle Africa's founder and Chair was keen to praise the players' efforts afterwards saying:

"The effort those involved have put in today will help in a very real way to push Tackle Africa's work forward in the coming year. Congratulations to all those involved.

 Funds raised by the event have now passed the £70,000 mark - enough to fund a whole year's programme of Tackle Africa football and HIV/AIDS projects in Africa, which will continue to build and develop relationships with a number of local partnerships across Africa. The aim is to deliver HIV messaging through football by combining the work of FA trained football and HIV coaches, local training staff, youth leaders and school teachers. Some of the marathon players are in fact now set to go on coaching trips in 2009 - helping Tackle Africa put the money into action. Planning is already well underway for next year and the event will be even bigger and better, with negotiations under way to host it at a football league ground!

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