The May Bank Holiday weekend was one where records were broken, and the hot weather made it an enjoyable experience for everyone, but SE28 was the place to be as Erith Town hosted their inaugural tournament at Bayliss Avenue, The Manak Community Cup.

With 76 teams from age groups Under-7s all the way to Under-13s in attendance, and hundreds of young football players from London and Kent, the Manak Community Cup was an event to highlight the importance of grassroots football in the local area, and giving the local community the chance to play on the first team stadium pitch of The Dockers.

Parents, guardians, family members and supporters were able to watch from the main stands and outside the pitch hoardings, so that the young players were able to play on the same ground as their non-league football teams and create lifelong memories that everyone could be a part of.

Every team who participated, whether cup and shield finalists or participants, were also able to walk up the steps of the main stadium stand, to replicate the famous stair climb at Wembley Stadium, and proudly display their medals and trophies to all those who had come along to support them.

Speaking of the weekend as a whole, Erith Town Chairman, Kevin Morris said, “Several months back, the club committee and volunteers got together to discuss the possibility of Erith Town hosting a summer tournament, and we gave ourselves the aim of creating a tournament which people would enjoy and have a good time at.  But what we were able to produce as a club is extraordinary.

The Manak Community Cup wasn’t just a tournament; it was a festival of exciting and exhilarating football from many young players across the South-East and gave players the opportunity to really showcase their talents and what they were able to do.  Whether teams won or not, we had plenty of smiling faces throughout the weekend, and the atmosphere on those two days just shows the strength of grassroots football and the importance of youth football in the English game.

From a club point of view, it was obviously fantastic to see some of our young sides do so well in the latter stages of the cup and shield competitions, but the main thing is that this tournament was something that everyone could enjoy, compete against some of the biggest clubs in the area and you could finish the weekend feeling like a superstar.

It was a hugely rewarding weekend that will never be forgotten, and I’d like to congratulate all our volunteers who put so much time and effort into making the Manak Community Cup event so successful.  Finally, I’d like to thank Manak Solicitors and Peabody for helping to support the event and all those who took part in the tournament.”

Pictures supplied by Anil Rai / Erith Town Football Club.