Team Kurt and Team Katie win Friends Fighting Cancer charity football finals at AFC Portchester

Cup win (from left): Harry Scannell, Patrick Keating, Jake Daniels (background), Jason Scannell, Ray Ogilvie, Michelle Scannell, Paul Chivers. Pic courtesy Jason Scannell.

The Hast XI defeated Team Michael Betteridge 4-1 to lift the Roger Blake Cup, while the Scannell XI struck a late winner to beat Team Alan Hunter 4-3 and lift the Catherine Wood Cup.

In all, there were four games played on the Wessex League club’s pitch to climax a tournament that has been running since Ray Ogilvie founded the FFC charity in 2008.

All eight teams in this year’s event are named in memory of a local person who has passed away as a result of cancer.

Team Kurt Hast won the Robert Blake Cup at the FFC charity football finals day at AFC Portchester. Pic: Colin Jefferies

The families of those people are always invited along to games and the players get to learn about their lives.

Ogilvie was involved with Team Scannell this year, with the side managed by Gavin Stockley.

Dave McCafferty - who is Ogilvie’s assistant at Hampshire Premier League club Harvest Home - was manager of the Team Kurt Hast squad.

Manager of the Team Alan Hunter side was Liam Webb, one of only a handful of people to have been involved in the FFC charity football tournament since its inception.

Normally, the teams are named after eight different people. But, for the first time, Ogilvie is carrying this year’s names into the 2021 tournament as well.

‘Because of Covid, the families and sponsors didn’t really get the full experience this year,’ he explained.

‘There will be a transfer window, though, if any of the players want to transfer to a different team.

‘It’s been a bit more low-key this year because of the restrictions.

‘But we had a wonderful day at Portchester and I can’t thank them enough for letting us play four games on their pitch.

‘We are so grateful to them, this wouldn’t have been possible without their help.

‘Socially distancing everyone was a bit challenging - I am just thankful we were able to stage the games before the new restrictions kicked in.’

Katie Scannell was a Purbrook School pupil who lost her battle with cancer in January 2018. She was just 14.

After she died, Katie’s friends shared a picture of her with her Ariana Grande merchandise on social media.

It was shared by the musician with the message: ‘Rest in peace Katie my baby, my heart is with you.’

Katie’s parents Jason and Michelle and brother Harry were at Portchester for finals day to watch the team named in her honour win silverware.

Katie’s name was suggested to FFC as a team name for their football tournament by her school friend and Pompey Academy footballer Stan Bridgman.

The Scannell family had previously been involved in 2018 with FFC’s boxing event at the Mountbatten Centre where 13 fighters represented Team Katie on the night.