Movember Charity Alumni & Staff v Students Football Match

The last Monday in November is now firmly in the school calendar as a chance for students to put words into action and beat their older, slightly creaky but nevertheless enthusiastic mix of staff and alumni all for a good cause!

The cold didn’t hinder from creating a fiery start with the staff/alumni team working hard with great gusto (knowing they would inevitably be feeling it in the legs in the latter part of the match). This paid off with an early goal from Alumni Jack R who had worked furiously up front on his own 1-0.

Students didn’t allow this to phase them and they managed to get themselves back in it with a penalty put away cooly by Dakara W (yet to miss a penalty this season) all even 1-1. The wealth of experience in the staff/alumni ranks allowed them to regain control playing some calm football and working from back to front. This good play eventually paid off with staff/alumni going 2-1 up with a really well-worked goal. Students’ heads were down and they seemed to be lacking confidence as they went on to concede a third from a lovely move and finish from Wilson 3-1 and staff/alumni home and dry…surely?! Unlike the previous 3 years, this current crop of old timers (and some less old) couldn’t see the game out. Students definitely regrouped and with some savvy changes worked really hard to get back into the game carving out an opportunity inside the box which bounced on the line and back out again (VAR would have ruled it out) 😉, 3-2 and game on! Dakara was a threat throughout the game and his clever thinking (or poor corner) led to the ball flying low and with pace passed the front post and into the goal…3-3!

Moments later our excellent referee and Head of Media (Mike Flack) blew the final whistle and staff remain unbeaten in 4 yea… BUT WAIT…with students chests puffed out and high on the adrenaline of a 3-1 come back staff/alumni were met with the challenge of a penalty shootout. Never one to turn down a challenge I regrettably agreed and proceeded to miss my penalty along with my colleague and member of the Sport Dept Max F! We have no excuses besides the fact that not many of the team fancied taking one and the last time we took a penalty Manchester City weren’t very good at football! The students stayed cool and won the shootout breaking the curse and setting up a very interesting match next ‘Movember’.

Always enjoyable and a pleasure to see alumni students.

Thanks to all involved and congrats to the students!

This was all in aid of the Charity Movember and if you’d like to donate you can do so HERE .

Team Sheets:

Staff/Alumni – Tom H, Nico B, Felix R, Sean G, Wilson K, Michael J, Kuba S, Ornis D, Kian A, George H, Max C, Imran L, Will D, Scott W, Jack R, Max F

Students – Bernard S, Ishaan P, Mo H, AP, Tom W, Tanmay S, Dakara W, Abai R, Jeremiah C, Yelnur N, Amir Ali H, Konrad M, Kun K

Sean Gallagher, Housemaster (Metropolitan) / Head of Co-Curricular