South London’s Terry Riley was able to experience what it is like to be a Premier League manager for the afternoon after reaching the final – and ultimately winning – a national five-a-side competition.
The inaugural Gillette Flexball Cup final was celebrated in style as the two sides were given the traditional Sky Sports treatment.
From the Soccer Saturday introduction by Jeff Stelling, to the commentary by Rob Palmer and popular pundit Chris ‘Kammy’ Kamara, the coverage for Prize Hunters versus LPF 1988 rivalled that of a Premier League fixture.
More than 800 teams took part, across 46 Powerleague venues, and in the end it was Prize Hunters, whose team consists mostly of players from London, who were victorious as they won 8-6 at the Powerleague centre in the shadows of the iconic Wembley Stadium.
Prize Hunters manager Riley said: “The whole tournament was tough. Before the final we had to win the regional in Mill Hill which was a tasty affair. But the whole thing was a very good experience.
“We aim to win one of the major tournaments a year but this year we have been quite lucky. We have had the right mix of good players, skill and luck.
“We didn’t go into the Gillette Flexball Cup saying we were going to win it but it was an important one for us because of the prize; the prize of watching El Clasico spurred us on to do it from the start.”
Prize Hunters have travelled across the globe due to their numerous tournament wins and this victory means the players will now attend one of the greatest fixtures in world football: the El Clasico, when Spain’s biggest clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid, go head-to-head.
Riley stated the team were already desperate to win the event heading into the weekend but it took on even greater significance when striker Kurtice Herbert discovered his father had passed away the day before.
STARS FOR THE DAY: Sky Sports’ Chris Kamara interviews Prize Hunters
Riley, who is a youth worker, said: “We all knew that Kurt’s dad was close to passing away but I was ringing around the boys the night before the final to make sure everyone was ready and that is when he told me.
“I told him that I’d either see him in the morning or I wouldn’t and he had to do what he wanted. He called me later that night or early the next morning and told me that he was going to play; his dad had said he wanted him to win this one.
“So it was really emotional when we won, a lot of people were in tears, and everyone was so happy we could win it for him.”
The Gillette Flexball Cup took place at Powerleague centres across the country to find the UK’s best five-a-side team, with the winners receiving a trip to El Clasico. For more information go to powerleague.co.uk and for highlights of the final head to www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcv3jRK1ypM
