A classic British summer was no match for Brockham 2012, the seventh annual World Cup 6-a-side Youth Football Tournament on 16th and 17th June.
The deluge of rain that fell at the start of the week, and
the strong winds forecast for the end of it, failed to derail southern
England's largest celebration of youth football. Heavily strapped, storm proofed
marquees and well-drained, immaculate pitches ensured the tournament could go
ahead with some top-quality 6-a-side games, watched by scouts from Fulham,
Chelsea and Brighton.
Having started with 160 teams seven years ago, Brockham 2012
was bigger than ever. No fewer than 204 teams from Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire,
Kent and South London, involving around 1700 young footballers,
took part on the village's picturesque Big Field, in the shadow of the North Downs. And even that wasn't enough to satisfy
demand; more than 300 teams applied for a place when registration opened in
January, with some age groups selling out in just one day.
More than 560 matches took place over the weekend. see the result of every single one, along with the group stage final tables here.
Saturday 16th June
The Brockham tournament places the emphasis on friendly
competition, promoting youth football for all. It's an inclusive competition,
welcoming teams of all standards, which means there were some convincing
victories in the group stages for some of the elite teams - but some giant
killing too.
However, on Saturday, when it came to the final knock-out
rounds, the games began to go with form. A fiercely fought Under 10s
competition saw Wolves and Ashtead Colts contest the final, with Wolves taking
home the winners’ trophy in a 2-1 win.
Last year’s Under 13 champions, Lingfield Youth, were back
this year in the U14s. They were finalists once again, but Staines Albion edged
them out 1-0. The Girls Under 14 winners were Patcham United, who beat
Hangleton Rangers 2-0.
Brockham's Under 12 Boys lead the charge for the hosts,
making their way to the final and a local derby with Leatherhead Youth. It was
a thrilling and competitive end-to-end encounter as tiredness crept in at the
end of an all-day tournament, but a single goal in a breakaway towards the end
of the second half gave Leatherhead the trophy, with the boys from Brockham
runners up for the second successive year.
Sunday 17th June
By Sunday, the sun was shining and Brockham 2012, taking
place in the shadow of the North Downs, really came into its own as a spectacle
as well as a sporting event. With each visiting team adopting a World Cup
country for the day, the Big Field was a riot of flags, face painting and
colour. Parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents and family friends lined the
17 pitch sides with chairs, picnic rugs and gazebos to watch the action unfold.
The players didn't disappoint. Leatherhead Colts Under 9s
won eight games in a row to take their place on the winner’s podium, although
it took a penalty shoot-out to get past Sutton United in the final.
In the Under 11s, Oxshott Royals and NPL Youth contested the
final for the third year in a row. After one victory apiece, it was advantage
NPL Youth who were crowned champions with a 1-0 win this year.
The Girls Under 12s saw some of the best football of the
entire weekend, as Brunswick FC put on a total football master class to take
the title, in the face of competition from Corinthian Casuals, Carshalton
Athletic and Ashtead Fillies.
Brockham 2012 - a Family Day Out
The football takes centre stage, but Brockham Badgers organisers
ensure the tournament has plenty of free entertainment to keep players and
spectators entertained in between the games. The Chelsea FC Foundation had
queues of boys and girls throughout the weekend, eager to show off their
accuracy on a giant inflatable shooting target, and the Surrey Air Ambulance
helicopter landed on Saturday, offering guided tours, before giving a fly-by
salute from the sky on Sunday.
“A truly brilliant event”, “a real gem of a tournament” and “a great and memorable day”, was just some of the
praise heaped on Brockham’s tournament by visiting teams eager to return next
year.
Brockham 2013 - Provisional Dates
We're already making plans to do it all again next year. Brockham 2013 will be our eighth annual event. Dates are provisionally set for 15th and 16th June 2013.
All teams that took part this year or were on the waiting list are already on the Mailing List for next year - and in pole position for registration details when they become available in late-January 2013.
If you didn't take part this year but would like to be added to the 2013 Mailing List, then click here.
We hope to see you there!
