A group of Edinburgh College students brought together schools for a day of football fun at Oriam, Scotland’s national performance excellence centre at Heriot-Watt’s Riccarton Campus.
All Star Events, a team of HND Events Management students, worked together to create the first Inner City Schools Football Tournament – participated in by 15 primary schools across Edinburgh and the Lothians – aimed at encouraging more young people to take part in sport.
The 15 primary teams were split into two leagues of ability, A and B, with a round-robin taking place for each league. Following some exhilarating and creative football played across a series of matches, Edinburgh’s Fox Covert Primary School and Fauldhouse’s St. John the Baptist Primary School would meet in the A league final.
Fox Covert Primary came out on top in a hard-fought cup final to ensure they lifted the A League trophy.
An Edinburgh derby followed in the B league final where Cramond Primary met Royal High Primary. Cramond ran out winners to claim the title.
Ex-Hearts, Leicester City and Livingston winger Joe Hammill alongside Arron Murrell presented the winners with a trophy and a medal, runners up with a medal and every pupil with a participation medal.
One final award was given on the day as Granton Primary School collected the Fairtrade Fair Play Cup after showing grace in defeat, extremely high levels of sportsmanship and encouraging each other to keep going in what was the team’s first ever tournament appearance. They received their trophy from College Events lecturer Iris Aitchison (below).
The Granton team has recently formed following training and support from The Spartans Community Football Academy provided by the generous help of the Edinburgh charity Sporting Start. Many of the children at the school previously didn’t have access to regular football training or tournaments prior to the schools invite to the tournament from All Star Events.
Kerr Allan, Spartans community football coach said: “It was a real pleasure to see the pupils playing in a tournament and putting all their training and hard work into action.
“It was especially great for them to be awarded the Fairtrade Fair Play Cup – how we work together as a team and support each other is by far the most important part of playing together.”
All Star Events manager Andrew Fraser said: “It was truly humbling to see so many happy and excited faces at the tournament. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who not only attended but supported and sponsored the event. We managed to take the idea of the tournament and turn it into a reality.
“It was great to be able to talk with both teachers, coaches and players who passed on their kind words of support for the event to the team from All Star Events. The teamwork and sportsmanship was extremely high throughout and it was great to see so many pupils, some of which were attending their first ever tournament, representing their schools and enjoying their day at Oriam.”
Edinburgh College head of Tourism Hospitality and Business Sarah-Jane Linton said: “What an amazing occasion this was at Oriam. Congratulations to our Events Management students who have organised a brilliant day of activity for primary seven pupils across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“It was amazing to see so many enthusiastic children take part and enjoy their day at Oriam. Congratulations to our two winning schools, Fox Covert and Cramond, who put on brilliant performances – however it’s clear that every pupil was a credit to themselves and their schools.
“Special congratulations also go to Granton Primary School for making their first ever football tournament appearance and winning the fair play award.”*
*NOTE: NEN readers of a certain age will know it’s not really Granton’s first ever football tournament appearance. The school formerly took part – often very successfully – in the annual North Edinburgh Primary Schools tournaments which were organised by the local jannies and volunteers in the 1990s and into the 2000s. I covered quite a few of them – good to see them back, though! – Ed.
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