Double triumph for Holylands FC in Housing Rights football tournament
Stephen Orme, our Policy and Public Affairs Officer, and Housing Rights footballer, gives an overview of our inaugural football tournament.
I had high hopes for this article. The Housing Rights team were supposed to win the tournament, or at the very least make a strong run into the knockout stages. There was even a draft headline: “Housing Rights: A Football Odyssey.” Alas, it was not to be. Housing Rights can organise a football tournament, but we can’t win one. Over the course of 3 hours, it was 2 teams from Holylands FC, who emerged triumphant in both the inaugural Trophy and Plate.
Tournament format
15 teams started the competition at Girdwood Community Hub on Saturday morning, meaning 3 groups of 4 teams, and 1 group of 3. The top 2 from each group entered the quarter-finals of the Trophy, whilst the four 3rd-placed teams entered the semi-finals of the Plate. Housing Rights was in Group B, along with teams from Fold, Helm Housing and PPR.
Group stage
Given that I was playing for Housing Rights, only potted coverage of the group stages can be provided. Housing Rights opened by losing 1-0 to PPR; followed that up with a 1-0 loss to Helm; and polished off our tournament with a 3-0 capitulation to Fold. No wins and no goals for Housing Rights. The other three teams were well matched and deserved their progression on to the quarter finals
The other group stages passed off largely without incident – bar a few outbreaks of tension, caused by tackles that could only be described as Johnson-esque – leaving the knock-out line-ups for both competitions as follows:
| Trophy | Plate |
| Quarter finals Holylands OB v Letsby Avenue Fold v Team of Gary Breens QLC v Co-Ownership Clanmill v MNF Elite |
Quarter Finals
|
| Semi finals Holylands OB v Clanmill Fold v QLC |
Finals |
| Finals Holylands OB v Fold |
The finals
Both games were high-octane, close-run affairs, with Holylands FC Old Boys and Holylands FC Young Boys emerging victorious in the Trophy and Plate, respectively. Congratulations to both teams, and best of luck for this season!
Other activities
Football was by no means the only thing going on. We had a barbeque, 2 bouncy castles, dozens of home-baked buns and a face-painting stall.
This money raised from the day will go towards our work in preventing homelessness in Northern Ireland. We would like to thank all our competitors, everyone else who came, and all of the staff, family and friends who kindly lent a hand.
Next year
2017 will see the 2nd Housing Rights Football Tournament. The success and feedback from the day has shown that there is an appetite for it and we can increase the number of organisations taking part in it.
In the meantime, Chris Benson from the Housing Executive would like to organise a few friendly matches. If you are interested in taking part email Chris for details.
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