Triple-jumper Phillips Idowu with his dog Angel, who accompanies him to all his athletics meetings. Photograph: Andrew Fox for The Observer

This article was written by Anna Kessel, for guardian.co.uk on Sunday 18th July 2010 00.06 Europe/London

“High five, Angel,” says Phillips Idowu to his two-year-old Japanese akita. Despite the heavy rain, on a grey afternoon in Birmingham, Angel duly obliges the triple jump world champion with a paw and a loving gaze.

The feeling is mutual. Idowu bought Angel in 2008, just as his career really began to take off: he has since won three major medals in two years – a world indoor title, an Olympic silver medal and the world outdoor title in Berlin last summer.

Those first few months together the two were inseparable as Angel – kitted out in stylish accessories – accompanied Idowu to his athletics meets, sitting in the back of his Mercedes SLK. “Through the whole indoor season of 2008 she came everywhere with me,” he says, laughing. “I made sure I booked hotels that allowed dogs. She’d stay in the hotel and I’d pretty much stay in the room with her the whole day. Then I’d rush to the competition, warm up, compete and rush back to see her.”

These days Angel has outgrown the SLK and become too noisy for hotel rooms (she barks at room service), “so I had to buy a new car especially to cart her around” the 31-year-old says. “I got an M-class Mercedes – a proper dog car. There’s her hair all round the back of it.” The two are still so attached that if Angel hears Idowu talking on TV she goes berserk.

If Idowu were a dog, what type of dog would he be? It is a cheesy question, but it provides a revealing answer. “I’d be a husky because I’m just ignorant,” he laughs. “Huskies don’t listen. They’re really smart, but they’re hard to train – they won’t do it unless it’s worth their while. If you let them off the lead and they want to run, they’ll go and they won’t come back.”

The description fits Idowu to a tee. The maverick of the British team, he has had coaches and managers alike tearing their hair out as he routinely flouts convention. On one infamous occasion in 2008 he stayed out until 4am clubbing with friends before competing at the Olympic trials in Birmingham. “But I pulled out a world leading jump the next day,” he says, cheekily, “so no one could say nothing.”

Up in the stands of the Alexander Stadium, sheltering from the rain with Angel lying neatly at his feet, he pauses to reflect. “I have matured and I’ve been able to have a bit more control over my ways, but it’s still ingrained in there.” He lets loose a wry smile. “I have certain ways. I can be stubborn. I like to do things my way.”

In fact Idowu is so entrenched in his ways that even Charles van Commenee, Britain’s head coach and a notorious disciplinarian, has had to allow him free reign. “Everyone [else in the GB team] seems to conform… but I know if I do things my way I get results. Which is why Charles just pretty much lets me do what I want to do. I don’t want to stop myself from doing what I want to do. Athletics takes up so much of your life it’s restrictive enough anyway.”

Idowu’s instinct meant that he traded defending his world indoor title in Doha earlier this year to stay home for the delayed birth of his son. At the time Van Commenee expressed disappointment at the decision. “Oh well,” says Idowu breezily, “that’s him. Charles don’t have kids so he’ll never know. He can be disappointed, but it’s my decision, it’s my choice, it’s my medal, it’s my title. It’s got nothing to do with him. Be disappointed, boy, it doesn’t make a difference. I was at home and I was happy.”

Idowu is clear on where his priorities lie. “I would always give up a medal for the birth of my child. I wanted to be around the first couple of weeks after that as well. It’s a massive change, my daughter’s got to get used to having a brother around and I weren’t going to leave Carlita [his girlfriend] with two kids and I’m off on the other side of the world. It was in my plan to go and defend my title, but it just didn’t work out that way.”

While Idowu stayed home with the family and Angel – who, incidentally, is terrified of his kids: “she takes a wide berth, boy!” – a young Frenchman named Teddy Tamgho competed in Doha and took the world by storm, setting a world indoor record with a huge leap of 17.90m.

Idowu recalls watching the competition on television and, even at the memory of it, is lost for words. “When I saw his last-round jump, his world record that was… that was… I couldn’t say nothing. There was no words. He just came charging down. That was a big jump. I sent him a Facebook message after that saying ‘world champ’. Exclamation mark.”

Tamgho followed up with the third-longest leap in history, 17.98m, at a meeting in New York last month. The young star, only 21, credits Idowu with helping his breakthrough as the more experienced jumper passed on support and advice. But a recent newspaper article suggested otherwise, describing Idowu as “dismissing” Tamgho for a one-hit wonder.

“That piece really pissed me off,” Idowu says, characteristically blunt. “I can’t stand that. There was nothing in the conversation that day that came across negative about Teddy at all. I don’t bad mouth any of my competitors. I looked on the internet and that story went round the world. And it’s not just what Teddy might have thought seeing it, but what everyone else thought – that I must be arrogant, some big head having a go at some kid. He’s just a kid, you know. It makes me look like an arsehole.”

“When he jumped that 17.98 I was happy for him, I gave him a hug, I was like…” he says, then pauses. “I actually sent Teddy a message just to explain. I forwarded him the article and said: ‘Don’t take no notice, I wasn’t dissing you, it was some journalist twisting things.’

“What upsets me the most is that when I was coming through there were times when [the world record holder] Jonathan Edwards wasn’t as supportive of me as he could have been. Back then I was the young kid and he wasn’t there for me, so how would that make me look if I turned round and did the same thing to Teddy?”

The relationship between Idowu and the media has often been strained. The Hackney-born jumper says he is too often interpreted on a superficial basis, as “six foot five, piercings, tattoos and dyed hair”. He shrugs. “But that’s just a look, it has nothing to do with my personality.” When he competes there is a swagger to his walk, but away from the track Idowu is softly spoken and often shy.

“I guess it’s just more fun for them to portray me as a bad guy or someone who’s up in peoples’ faces or dissing my competitors,” he says. “It will sell a lot more papers. It’s conflict, it’s beef, people are interested in stuff like that. But that’s not me, that’s not me at all.”

So far this season Idowu has been keeping a low profile. With a week to go before the start of the European championships he is focusing on the final details of his jump. It has been a tricky season, slowed by a virus, but his best effort of 17.48 is enough to rank him third in the world this year. And he has dyed his hair again, so things must be looking up. “I thought: ‘Let me just brighten myself up a bit’,” he says with a grin. “I’m starting to feel good. I didn’t go red because red is my ‘let’s go’ colour. But I’m on the way there and it showed in my performance. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, Barcelona, I’ll be back to red and back to the medals.”

With Tamgho now a doubt, having withdrawn from last week’s Diamond League fixture in Paris because of calf and hamstring problems, it may just be Edwards’s old nemesis, Christian Olsson, of Sweden, with whom Idowu will be left to do battle.

One thing is for certain, without an outdoor European medal on his CV (in 2006 Idowu finished fifth), this is one competition he will not want to miss. Along with the Olympic title he lost so narrowly in Beijing, a European medal is one of the lingering ambitions he still burns for. And as long as that is the case, he says, the rest of his medal collection will stay untouched in a box in the attic.

“I don’t want them around me in the house,” he says quietly, ruffling Angel’s ears. “I don’t need to see them. If I had them out now that would be like saying I’ve reached the pinnacle of my achievements. But I haven’t, not by a long way, boy.”

As he prepares to head home, Idowu dons a Star Wars stormtrooper-themed cap to stave off the rain. “They had a C-3PO one which was gold,” he says, momentarily brightening. “But I didn’t want to be wearing a gold cap because, you know, people might think I’m trying to say something…” he trails off. There he goes again, one minute straight-talking, the next shy and self-conscious. Idowu, the gold-plated enigma.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

Sunday tennis in Clissold Park. Photo: © Izzie Tran

With the joy of Wimbledon 2010 still fresh in everyone’s minds, many local residents are keen to refine their serves and perfect their backhands. Where better than in Hackney’s most established tennis spot?

Hackney City Tennis Clubs has recently won plaudits for promoting the game from its base in Clissold Park, and the upgrade of the park currently underway could help the club to increase its capacity if permission is granted to allow a vacant building to be used as a clubhouse.

Founded in 1999, the club’s accomplishments are nothing short of remarkable. Clissold Park was recently made a ‘Beacon site’ by the Tennis Foundation in recognition of the high quality work at both community and performance level and the number of coaches that have been trained at the club over the past few years.

Hackney has also been named as a ‘Tennis Hotspot’ which could potentially bring £500k in funding from the Tennis Foundation (the charitable wing of the Lawn Tennis Association).

More impressive still, five of the players who started on the club’s programme are currently ranked in the top five in their age group at national level, and several more players are making their way up the rankings. Strong performances of this sort have won the club ‘satellite status’ by the National Training Department of the Lawn Tennis Association in recognition of its ability to produce top players.

Tennis Manager Jan Coombs is understandably proud: “our performance programme is now producing some of the best young players in the country in spite of not having an indoor facilities or floodlights.”

This summer’s make-over of Clissold Park has provided an opportunity for the club to improve its facilities. On 28 July Hackney Council’s planning committee will be considering an application to turn the old park-keeper’s lodge on Queen Elizabeth’s Walk into a dedicated tennis clubhouse. The club has had the derelict building in its sights for two years, but now there looks to be a real possibility of securing it for future use. The park makeover may also include the provision of floodlights for the courts.

Some park users have objected to the fact that tennis players have been granted access to the park after normal closing hours. Concerns have also been raised over the possible impact of floodlights on those living near the courts.

Yet admiration for the club’s accomplishments is practically universal, and this summer promises to be a good one for tennis in Hackney.

Related stories:

The ghost of Clissold Past

Clissold Park plans – the latest

Clissold Park concerns

Sporting Hackney's Alan McQuade in action (yellow kit) Photo: Mel Roberts

Saturday started with a lunchtime kick off for the Reserves away at Sloane, where a comfortable 2-0 victory was recorded: Tony Acquah bundled in from close range following a well delivered corner from Barry Charalambous to give Hackney a deserved half time lead.

H de Gourville’s with a 20 yard strike with his trusted left foot, made the points safe with just a couple of minutes of the match remaining.

Reserve team manager Jamie Duff said, “I’m delighted with today’s performance, everyone that played today contributed to this victory and, of course, I’m especially pleased with the clean sheet.”

The early kick off gave First Team manager, Ben Watson,  the rare opportunity for a run-out with the reserves, after putting in a good shift in midfield he had to hot-foot it across town to take charge of the First Team’s cup quarter-final against Willesden Constantine at Haggerston Park.

Middlesex County Premier League Willesden started the match as favourites, but having already knocked out two other clubs from that league, Division One Hackney knew that this represented a great opportunity to progress in the competition.

The game was played at a furious pace and there was little to choose between the teams at half time as they went in at one-all.   Michael Goodacre gave Hackney the lead with a powerful header before Willesden equalised from a controversial penalty decision.

By now most of the Reserve team had also made it across town to provide some much appreciated vocal support.  It appeared to help, as Sporting took control of the match with two trade-mark goals from the ever young top goalscorer Alan McQuade.

The first after superb work from the Italian midfielder Marco Majocchi, the second was all his own work finished with a cheeky chip to leave the rotund keeper stranded.

Sion Jones then put the game to bed with a cracking finish from the edge of the box.  Willesden did claim a late consolation goal as the rain began to team down at fortress Haggerston.

That victory was Hackney’s seventh consecutive, the only defeat in February and March coming against title rivals Springfield.  Included in this great run was a 4-3 thriller against St Johns Arsenal Deaf in front of over 100 supporters at Haggerston Park.  Sion Jones’ last minute winner was captured on video and can be viewed here.

There was more good news later in the day when it was learnt that both of Sporting’s title and promotion rivals had dropped points.  With two games remaining, promotion to the almost certain, one more point will guarantee Premier League football next season.  Two victories and the Middlesex County Division 1 league trophy will be heading to Hackney.

The Reserves continue to make good progress in the Middlesex County Senior Reserve League under Duff, picking up 12 of a possible 18 points in February and March.  They now sit comfortably in sixth place.

Watson was delighted with the weekend’s events. “It couldn’t really have gone any better for the club this weekend,” he said.  “It’s the first season in many years that we’ve been able to play our home matches in the borough of Hackney and we love being back.

“It’s great that we’re getting some local supporters coming to watch regularly, too.  There’s usually goals and drama in every match so there can’t be many more entertaining ways to spend a Saturday afternoon – especially as it’s free.”

If you’d like to join the growing support Sporting Hackney, April’s fixtures are as follows:

03 April 2010

Middlesex County Senior Reserve League

Sporting Hackney Reserves v Feltham Reserves (3pm at Haggerston Park)

10 April 2010

The Jim Rogers President’s Division One Cup Final

Stedfast United v Sporting Hackney (7.45pm at Yeading FC)

Tickets for this match are on sale at £5, for further information please contact sportinghackneyii@hotmail.com

17 April 2010

MCFL League Senior Open Cup Semi Final

Sporting Hackney v Stedfast United (3pm at Haggerston Park)

Middlesex County Senior Reserve League

C.B. Hounslow United Social Reserves v Sporting Hackney Reserves

24 April 2010

Middlesex County Division One (Central and East)

Sporting Hackney v London United Football Academy (3pm at Haggerston Park)

Middlesex County Senior Reserve League

Kensington Dragons Reserves v Sporting Hackney Reserves

Black belt Kim Van Dooren (left) gives one-to-one training

Kim Van Dooren greets me in the old Turkish Delight factory at 10 Manor Road, now home to the Politi Arts Centre and also Van Dooren’s own All Girl Kickboxing.

Slim built, with alert brown eyes and shiny hair pulled back and moulded into a cool quiff, she does not immediately strike me as a black-belt.

It is her graceful posture that gives her away, and the power behind her handshake. Born in Zambia, Kim arrived in Hackney at 17 and in her twenties embraced the martial art Jeet Kune Do. Trained under the legendary Bob Breen, the top Jeet Kune Do instructor in the world, she earned her black belt in November 2008.

Jeet Kune Do is a mixed fighting system based on the philosophy of Bruce Lee, free from rules yet based on the idea that a fighter should do whatever is necessary, using whatever martial arts technique needed to defend themselves.

Having taught children at Breen’s academy for some time, Kim wanted to provide a place for women only that was not as intimidating as the male dominated dojo.

She also wanted to create an alternative to the gym, going far beyond kicksercise and boxercise. Kim’s training is strongly based on martial arts technique and she is serious about wanting women to “reclaim punching and kicking”.

The training’s great benefit is that not merely the building of core strength, but the feeling of self-confidence it brings.

“I had one girl who on the first lesson said to her friend (about her punch) ‘I didn’t expect it to feel like this’…cause I think she realised it’s quite pathetic until you know how. She’s been four times and her punch has gotten so much stronger and she’s loving it. When she whacks the pad now she gets a real kick.”

If you want to try something new, improve your technique, and risk getting hooked, the beginners’ kickboxing studio is open every Wednesday from 6.30- 7.30pm at Politi Arts Centre 10-12 Manor Road N16 5SA. Ages from 15 and up welcome. Drop-in session is £7. Kim also trains women one-to-one.

Contact kimvandooren@yahoo.com or 07968 869455.

Hackney RFC raised over £2,000 for local children’s charity Hackney Quest

Running 10k through the borough after work might sound a little daunting to most, but for Hackney RFC it seemed the perfect way to combine their training with some fundraising.

So earlier this year the club ran from their home at Springhill to Victoria Park, and raised over £2,000 for local children’s charity Hackney Quest in the process.

Last Saturday members from Quest headed down to Hackney’s home ground to thank the team ahead of their league game against Old Millhillians (which Hackney duly won).

Hackney RFC have recently stepped up their involvement in social inclusion and charity work in the borough, building on their success in recruiting over 200 children to the game since 2004, and in growing from a club with only one adult team to fielding three this year (the first time the Hackney club has had three teams for 14 years).

On Monday nights the club hosts Hackney Hitz. The scheme, run in partnership with the Metropolitan Police and Premier Rugby, offers free coaching to children at risk of social exclusion and anti-social behaviour.

Development Officer Morgan Whitlock explained why the club chose to support Hackney Quest. “We believe that being a successful sports club is about more than just winning games.

“It’s about getting local people engaged in sport and leading active lives. Hackney Quest do an amazing job of providing young people in Hackney with the opportunity to participate in activities they wouldn’t otherwise be able to enjoy. We really wanted to do our best to get behind this brilliant project.”

And Whitlock says that this years run won’t be the last. “We’ll certainly be running again next year, and our plan is to make this an annual open event, allowing people the chance to take part in a local event to support a brilliant local charity.”

Hackney Quest’s Project Director Colette Allen explained what the money meant to the charity. “This is a fantastic amount of money and we are really grateful to the Hackney RFC for all their hard work and effort in running 10k to help the young people of Hackney.

“We are planning to put the funds towards our 21st Birthday Party/Reunion to be held on 10 December and will be inviting the lads along to say “thank you” publicly.  Our Youth Participation Group, who are running the event, would like to pass on their thanks to the whole team, and we all look forward to this becoming an annual, open event.”

To contact Hackney RFC, email rugby@hackneyrfc.co.uk
More information on Hackney RFC.

To contact Hackney Quest call 0208 533 5480
More information on Hackney Quest .

London Fields resident Chris Skinner has launched a local triathlon club

A London Fields resident is setting up a new triathlon club in a bid to find other budding athletes to train with.

Chris Skinner, 30, has already recruited 20 members to London Fields Triathlon Club. He is hoping to attract another 30 more before the first training session next month.

Chris has long been a keen sportsman and already runs the successful London Fields Cricket Club. It was earlier this year that he began taking part in the triathlon, which involves swimming, cycling and running, and he is aiming to improve in all three disciplines over the winter months. However, he has found it a hard sport to prepare for just by himself.

“Endurance events can involve quite a lonely training process,” he said. “When you’re in the company of others it really helps your motivation.”

The group’s training schedule will involve an hour-long swim every Sunday at London Fields Lido, followed by an hour’s run around the park and neighbouring area. They will also head to Redbridge Cycle Centre once a month to practice on its road circuit track.

Swimming outdoors in the middle of winter might not be everybody’s idea of fun, but Chris said the heated lido is the perfect place for them to practice their strokes.

“It’s a great place to swim in the winter, if you can brave the 20 yards from the changing rooms to the pool,” he laughed. “It’s the best time of year to be there. Even when it’s very cold and the weather is a bit murky, you get steam rising off the water and it’s beautiful.”

Chris also plans to get qualified coaches to run the sessions, working on each of the individual disciplines as well as easing the transition from one to another.

Anyone interested in joining the Triathlon England-affiliated club may can visit the London Fields Triathlon Club website or email Chris: lftriathlon@googlemail.com

Captain Gordon Rodger and his darts team at The Albion pub, 94 Goldsmith’s Row E2

Wondering how to while away the dark and gloomy wintery nights? Brave the cold, shuffle along to your local, and begin your warm ups after ordering your first pint. Welcome to the world of darts – very much alive and well here in Hackney.

So what’s the attraction of a game that’s devoid of glamour, and more about lager? Is it actually a sport, and do our local players tire of the argument that it’s just not in the same league as other sporting games? Is darts just a pub game?

“Of course it’s a sport,” confirms Gordon Rodger, 52, darts fan, and captain of the Albion on Goldsmith Row darts team. “If I had it my way, it would be an Olympic sport. It’s up there with all the top games when it comes to skill.”

As a fourteen-year-old, Gordon discovered the game set to become one of his enduring and veritable passions. “I always told the wife, you better get used to it – I’ll be going down the pub and playing darts as long as I live.”  And he has certainly lived up to his passion, playing at least four nights a week, and beating off competition and climbing to the top spot of the John Smith’s People’s Championship for Hackney.

“Unfortunately though, there are fewer and fewer places where you can play a good game of darts compared to a few years ago,” explains Gordon. “All these wine bars popping up over the place have taken over from traditional pubs, which is why I play in the Albion.”

Charming, honest and neighbourly, it is a haven for football lovers, with every inch covered in memorabilia of the beautiful game. With some of the friendliest staff around, the Albion is the place to relax – and, according to Gordon, what better way than to settle in with a game of darts.

“I am definitely a big fan of the social side to it – the drinking – I mean c’mon, we’re hardly athletes are we,” chuckles Jake Grimsley, 24, and member of the Albion’s team.

There is certainly a very warm sense of camaraderie on match night, and it’s difficult to get a word in edgeways among the players poking fun at one another. And no one is in the least bit perturbed that the opposing team turns up half an hour late.

“It does get really competitive when we play, but it’s not like we’re professionals or anything. We’re all just here to have a laugh,” says Jake.

If you fancy a game, a spot of competition, and bags of mickey-taking – Gordon and the rest of the team are more than happy to welcome you. “Our team is open to anyone who fancies it. Just sign up with Dave the landlord,” says Gordon.  And as long as the beer’s flowing and the Albion’s door is open, this lot aren’t going anywhere.

Hackney and Tower Hamlets under 15s football team

Hackney and Tower Hamlets Schools beat Mid Sussex 3-1 against Mid Sussex in the third round of the English Schools Football Association Under 15s’ Cup.

Hackney and Tower Hamlets dominated the game on Tuesday 10 November at Hassocks Football Club in Brighton, with all three goals from Curtly McIntosh.

Mid Sussex Manager and ex England under 18s Manager Peter Chisholm said, “Hackney and Tower Hamlets team has the potential to go a long way in the oldest youth football competition in the world, which dates back to 1905.

“Many of the boys could follow in the footsteps of previous Hackney and Tower Hamlets Schools players and go on to play professional football such as Ashley Cole, Ledley King, Jay Lloyd-Samuel, Danny Shittu, Darren Purse and Lee Bowyer.”

Team:

Quinton Monville, Kai Parkinson, John Muleba, Justin Marrah, Sheldon Steeds, and Kenneth Sheawuo (Bishop Challoner Sports College); James Arthurworrey, Simon Cleere, Alfred Mugato, and Daniel Xavier-Samuel (Cardinal Pole); Teo Borazon, Imdad Hussain (Sir John Cass); John Oyenuga, and Keli Nutsugah (Raines); Curtly McIntosh (Langdon Park); Kamal Guthmy (George Green); Thomas Gogo (Bow Boys);

The draw for the next round can be found here.

Members of the North East London Gymnastics Club outside the Zoom Around building

SQUATTERS who have taken over the ZoomAround building in Milton Grove, Stoke Newington have been preventing as many as 1,500 young people taking part in gymnastics.

The building had been earmarked for the North East London Gymnastics Club (NELGC) when it was squatted several months ago.

The club had been looking to move premises ever since they were made aware of the one year planned refurbishment of Stoke Newington School hall, their old home.

After having spent the past two years talking to the Council about securing new premises in the ZoomAround building on Milton Grove, things came to a standstill.

I met Lara Everall, the organiser of the gymnastics club, at her home on the day the council was due to give her a definite decision on the lease of the building. She was enthusiastic and engaging, but I sensed a certain tiredness.

She talked about the 50 letters written to the Mayor, Jules Pipe, which all received standard replies stating that he could not bypass the Council’s Property Services department on the matter – leaving 1,500 children without training.

“Losing out on training creates instability. Were the club not to open, these children would have to try and get places in Beckton or Camden, which would firstly involve a very long waiting list and secondly, longer journeys for the children”, says Lara.

Lara suggests that the borough owes a great deal to volunteers. People work for free to support organisations like the club. When their contribution to the borough is so substantial, how is it that the practical rewards are lost? Lara herself was awarded Coach of the Year 2008 for outstanding achievement in local sport.

As I met up with the young gymnasts and their parents outside the ZoomAround building some weeks later, the absurdity of the situation was even more apparent.

Inside the gym building there were still a dozen squatters, taking full advantage of the facilities. Outside, the frustration was high. The regional finals are coming up this month (September). The children have had nowhere to practice for the past two months.

Hackney Council has won the case against the squatters, who now face imminent eviction. However, the lease issue is yet to be resolved. In the run-up to the Olympics, one of the top priorities within the borough should be to encourage and push young athletes.

So I join the growing number of people asking the same question: why are things moving so slowly?

The Clissold Rangers team with their winners’ cups

Clissold Rangers have won plenty of trophies and plaudits in the last few years. But for practical reasons the club has been able to train – but not compete – at its ‘home ground’, Clissold Park.

To date, therefore,  competitive matches have been played in other venues, often outside Hackney. However the club has now created a special pre-season tournament at Clissold Park for the best clubs around – The Clissold Rangers Invitation League.

The league will see three of the best junior football clubs in London pit their skills and their wits against the Hackney homeboys.

Coach Nick Franchini said, “All these teams have won league and cup trophies across London, playing beautiful football – and without the tantrums we see week in week out in the Premier League.

“If you love great football then why not come by and take a look? You won’t be disappointed and may be just a little inspired. And remember, junior football mixes together boys and girls.”

The three visiting clubs come from three different corners of London – Interwood FC from Waltham Forest, Glebe FC from Bromley and Hampstead FC.

Clubs will pair off on two pitches and in just over an hour their under 9s, under 10s and under 12s will play each other in short 20 minute games. There will be three ‘face offs’ with matches played 1pm – 4.30pm.

“Besides the Winner’s Trophy there will be a ‘Coaches’ Choice’ Trophy for the Club that plays the best football on the day – so expect to see sweeping end to end moves and last ditch tackles just like you see on Match of The Day – only you won’t have to put up with listening to those pundits in between the games!

“Hopefully this can become another annual highlight on the local calendar and another showcase for some outstanding achievement by our young people,” said Nick.

1pm – 5pm Sunday 13 September 2009
Clissold Park, at the corner of Green Lanes and the ponds
Free

For more information check out the Clissold Rangers website www.clissoldrangers.com