Twelve teams and over 100 female players took to the pitch at St George’s Park for the first ever Women’s Copa Del Cure Leukaemia tournament.
Women from companies and organisations across the country battled it out in the six-a-side competition alongside a host of ex-pros boasting 695 England caps between them, including Sue Smith, Siobhan Chamberlain, Eartha Pond, Claire Rafferty and the nation’s record appearance holder Fara Williams MBE. The Mirror’s very own team were paired with Birmingham City legend Emily Westwood as they progressed all the way to the semi-final stage.
The Mirror, who were headline sponsors of the tournament, played five group stage matches earning three draws, one win and one defeat. They went on to beat Fans for Diversity 2-0 in their first knockout game before they succumbed to a narrow 2-1 loss against Williams’ Apna England Lionesses.
Eden Marsh, one of five Cirencester Town Ladies players to represent the Mirror, was a standout performer as she claimed the Player of the Tournament prize at the evening awards.
The final was another tightly contested affair with Apna England up against Booths. The high-end supermarket chain partnered with ex-Tottenham star Pond, who was outstanding between the sticks throughout the day and she made the crucial stop to win the penalty shootout and claim the first ever Female Copa Del Cure Leukaemia trophy.
Cure Leukaemia is a charity which battles to eradicate all forms of blood cancer and the event last week was held as part of their Finish-It! Campaign . It was launched in September last year alongside Gary Lineker OBE and his son George, who fought his own battle with blood cancer at six weeks old.
Smith took part in last year’s Copa Del CL at the home of England football and the now Sky Sports pundit was eager to get involved in the charities’ first-ever all-female event.
“It has been absolutely brilliant,” she said. “When I was first invited to the mixed event, I loved it. I thought it was brilliant and the atmosphere was great. I think obviously it's a fantastic cause, we all know that, and I think the fact of bringing football together I think that's always a powerful thing.
“When I think back to when we first spoke about it (a female-only competition) and we had discussions and we said wouldn't it be great if we could get an all-female event and then you just think, well it would be nice, but will it happen? It's actually quite a nice little reunion.
“I've caught up with some of my old teammates and it's funny because some of them have said “oh I haven't played for so many years and I've never changed direction in about three years so I've seen a few of them actually there on the massage bed at the moment. We all said the same thing, we miss that team spirit, that team togetherness and competitive competition which is great, and I think you're playing in fantastic facilities, which the Lionesses themselves will be using themselves next week.”
Williams, who hung up her boots at the end of the 2020/21 season, was also delighted with the call-up and the opportunity to help raise money for such a vital cause.
“It has been a great day,” she said. “When I was asked to do it, I jumped at the chance to put my football boots back on and come out. I didn't know what to expect to be honest, I didn’t know how many women at this age and this ability would be interested but I was blown away by them and how big the tournament was.
“You can see the ones (ex-pros) that are still competitive, they don't ever lose that - Katie Chapman in particular – she is definitely competitive but yeah it is really nice to get back with the girls and as I mentioned, it is for a great cause, to try and raise more awareness of blood cancer and leukaemia and hopefully get some more money through that.”
The day was rounded-off with an evening meal, awards ceremony and question and answer session with a handful of the ex-pros. Williams, Pond, Rafferty and Chapman took to the stage alongside presenters Johnny Phillips and Kenzie Benali to discuss the growth of the women’s game and the importance of Cure Leukaemia’s work, as well as reflect on some of their memories from their playing days.
The participation of over 100 women from all over the country is another indication of the incredible growth of the game. The players had the opportunity to live a day as a Lioness at St George’s Park and play with or against some of their heroes, who have certainly still got it.
There were plenty of laughs, goals, tense penalty shootouts and even an own goal from former Chelsea and West Ham star Rafferty. When not taking to the pitch, players were able to test their skills in the Teqball Challenge or receive a sports massage from University College Birmingham.
As someone who is fortunate to work in the women's game and is inspired by the incredible people within it every single day, last Friday's experience at St George's Park was quite special. To not only see so many people come together for a fantastic cause, but to once again be reminded of the incredible strides being made in the game and to have the opportunity to play alongside some of the greats.
You can see a snapshot of the day by watching the video at the top of this page.
To find out more about Cure Leukaemia's 'Finish It!' campaign and how you can help, visit the charity's website here.
