FX Cup Memorial Game for Graham Tutt. old

England v Ireland Select 

FX Cup Memorial Game for Graham Tutt.
 
    • Location: Atlanta, Georgia
    • Stadium: Silverbacks Park
    • Date: Saturday 10th December
    • Kick-off Time: 16:15 EST
    • VAR: Did not want it
    • Referee: Joe Mugganauts
 
There was no way to see this event on TV & live stream
England vs Ireland H2H Results (Last Five Games)

Ireland:
 2 Wins
England: 3 Wins
Draws: 0
 
England Team News
A bunch of England`s finest fell to the evil drink, they had just cause with a world cup quarter final where they dominated,  going against them with a penalty miss seven minutes before time. The lads were drowning sorrows and as a result were tight on numbers as we proceeded to the field
Many of their key players were stuck because parking was sparse in Silverbacks and the event was packed so eventually we saw many filter in.

England lineup vs Ireland

England Starting 11 (4-4-2) 
Redmond, Wright, Peacock, Fordham, O`Hare; Clarke, McNabb, Wademan, Chapman; Pollard, Donovan.
Bench: Jeb Smith, Carey Wilson, Anthony Riley, Quique Lopez.
 
Ireland team news
Brian Mooney missed the trip to Atlanta after informing his captain his bad knees just would not work under any amount of persuasion and highly unlikely if he flew in for the weekend – would love to try next time but Golf had to be part of the equation. A familiar story for all of our squad.
Doubts lingered over three of Irelands lethal weapons Steve Renwick who had to attend to family matters, Tom Whitty who banjaxed his knee and John Drummond who had family commitments also,  all have a chance of featuring in this fixture next year .
Donlan has been sidelined since limping off against Hammers at the start of October 2021 but returned to some form of training on Wednesday. Whether he will be tossed straight into the starting XI remained to be seen. There was little doubt…
The Two O`Briens were late casualties of work and fatigue – Next year is an opportunity for these lads to shine
Ireland lineup vs England

Ireland Starting 11 (3-4-3):
 Shannon; Donlan, Meenan, Hayes, Kealy; Kierans, Cormac; O Donnell, Moran, Kenny; Dixon
Bench: Smith, Hiott, Leone, Burke, Brennan, O`Brien, O`Brien, Renwick
 

England vs Ireland score

England 2-3 Ireland
England played a tough Ireland select team at Silverbacks Part on Saturday, They were a little distracted when the England  juniors were in a tight game with the French in the World Cup that ended in heartbreak for them. Steve O`Hare on top of organizing the Father Christmas event was left with the task of mustering all of the England talent and getting it on the field at the right time.
Irelands reputation is that it is a strong team that is tricky to defeat. The Irish bounced into the contest with the bit between their teeth. Paul McQuaid and Ray Treacy the solid management team their umpteenth game in charge of the Green machine on Saturday afternoon. There was a confident air as we saw the limited numbers from England and knew we had a lot of subs.
After the last game of this series over five years ago, the English had won on that occasion 2-1.  Defeat for this encounter was out of the question.

First Half

England 0-2 Ireland

Ireland gave their hopes of winning the Father Christmas Cup an significant boost with a dramatic and strong first half performance

England certainly looked the more dangerous side early on, winning the  possession battle in the opening 15 minutes,  Neil McNabb looking particularly dangerous from the midfield but they struggled to carve out a clear-cut chance.

Then came the Ireland attack and Moran broke the deadlock after some poor defending from England allowed the ball to drop in the box, with the Irish forward firing home.

A fine whipped ball from Noel Kierans that the keeper appeared to be shepherding to the all action Antony Fordham but it never materialized and Dixon then latched onto it and rolled it into the net to double the Irelands lead before the break to leave England with a mountain to climb.

The Irish defense has settled in well and started to boss proceedings in the first-half limiting England to long range efforts that Shannon had little difficulty with. Lar Hayes and Les Meenan taking turns to run at the England defenders and provide quality balls for Noel Kierans, Robin Dixon, Kevin Moran, Cormac and the ever lively JohnJoe Kenny they were supported by  a constant feed of subs  with standout passing and control from  Sam Burke, Hiott Leone and Brennan. Pete Kealy was a constant threat and was being fed from the back by Paddy Donlan. It was


Second Half
The old cliché it was a game of two halves would have to get rolled out here England got a strangle hold on the game with fine running from Trevor Donnovan keeping the back line on it toes in combination with Anthony Riley, Ryan Pollard and Martin Clarke  being the main providers of the through balls. There was the neat  Campbell Chapman urging the team forward.  Tony Peacock and Kenny Wright all starting some promising moves for the Three Lions. Steve O`Hare`s fine delivery into the box was cut out by Paddy Donlan with an unnatural stretch of the leg that ricocheted of his hand and the previously unwilling referee provided England with a golden opportunity to get back into the game. Campbell Chapman did his best Beckham impression and put it in the bottom lefthand corner to change the game. Then within 10 minutes the lethal Jeb Smith was in the right spot to finish neatly on the edge of the box after a lightening break that had a touch of everything with Reilly Pollard O’Hare and Donovan all involved.  The game was level and both teams sensed they could win it.  England had the first chance and produced a fine save from Ennis Shannon who had a fine game for the Irish. IT was a lot of back and forth with both teams playing some fine football being urged on from Captain O’Hare and Captain Donlan to play flowing attractive football. In the spirit of this the Goal was a fine team goal starting from and interchange between Les Meenan and Lar Hayes  with a delicate pass to Pete Kealy who put a dangerous ball on to Jason Smith he in turn found Robin Dixon who passed it on to  Kevin Moran  he passed it to the path of the surging Noel Kierans who had a neat cruff like turn of the English defense side stepping the keeper and thumping the ball home the roar of the lads told the story  there was still enough time for Webby to make the save of the day at full stretch that had the Irish team do a double take  in disbelief what a stop it would have been very unfair as it was a great tight game graced with a lot of memorable moments. Thank you to all who participated and we will be back to do it all again next year.
England
Graham Tutt
Ireland

2021 Father Christmas Cup set to offer comfort and financial aid to the family of a well-loved soccer-loving teacher

ATLANTA, GEORGIA—The local soccer community here is set to offer 101 percent support to the 2021 Father Christmas Cup scheduled on December 11 at the Atlanta Silverbacks Park.
According to reports, one of the beneficiaries of the annual soccer fundraiser, held each December to provide comfort and financial support for local Atlanta families that will be missing a parent for the first time over the holiday period is the family of a well-loved soccer-loving teacher who died on August 11, 2021.
Part of the proceeds of the well-loved soccer fundraiser will go to the family of Brian K. Jackson who began his career as a lawyer but ended up as a teacher for 19 years at Woodward Academy. Jackson was a long-time History teacher at the said educational institution where he is well-loved by his students.
With his death, Jackson left behind his wife of 19 years, Gina Calloway, 3 daughters-Angelena, Siena, Gisele Jackson, his mother and father-Doris Jackson and Joseph Jackson, step-father- Bernard Coachman, sisters-Kelly McCray, Carmen Dean, Tia Jackson, sister cousin-Barbara Raines, brothers-Kenneth Jackson, who preceded him in death, Malcolm and Peter Jackson and a host of uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
The organizers of the 2021 Father Christmas Cup want to ease the pain of the family left behind by Jackson by offering them comfort and some financial aid from this widely popular soccer fundraiser.
Sources said Jackson’s daughter plays soccer on the same team as Stevie Renwick’s daughter Riley which is coached by Campbell Chapman.
The Jackson family is also a big part of the local soccer community.
In this year’s edition of the Father Christmas Cup, Campbell’s team has a league game in the afternoon on December 11th, with a 30 min 8 v 8 squad game in Jackson’s honor at 10.30 am at the Stadium Field A.
The team will also be present for the Memorial ceremony at 11.30 am with the family.
This year’s Father Christmas Cup is being supported by the Atlanta United Foundation.
The United Foundation is a platinum sponsor of the annual soccer fundraiser held each December.
Aside from fun and games, the event will also memorialize those active in our soccer community that has passed within the previous 12 months.
The Atlanta Silverbacks organization has been a long-time sponsor of the event, generously donating
field space to host both a youth and adult soccer tournament.
Since this worthwhile event began, funds are generated from player participation donations, a sponsored player shirt, raffle proceeds, private donations made through the Father Christmas Cup website, and donations on the day of the event itself.

History and Origin of The Father Christmas Cup

 

The Father Christmas Cup came to be as a result of a discussion one night in September 2003 between a group of friends in a local pub, what was then the old Fado Fado, in the Buckhead bar district of Atlanta Georgia.
The discussion centered on the casualties from the war in Iraq and how that Christmas a family would be in mourning for a father missing for the first time during the Holiday season.

 

One of the groups recalled how soccer and war had been intertwined throughout the ages and we all remembered how during World War I, it was often cited that on Christmas Eve in 1915 a truce was struck between the Germans and the English to celebrate Christmas. The truce lasted Christmas Day and part of the following day- Boxing Day- and how an impromptu soccer game ensued in no-man’s land between the trenches.
The idea came about to hold a soccer match as a fundraiser to help a family that was missing their father for the first time. The first Father Christmas Cup has played in December 2003 and funds raised were donated anonymously to a soldier’s family.

Register Your Team for the 2021 Father Christmas Cup

Wondering how to register your team for the 2021 Father Christmas Cup?🤔 Just email the coordinator for the division you are looking to join!🤳🏽
Adult Men & CoEd Divisions, Steve Dunbar- sdunbar18@gmail.com
Women’s Divisions, Mark Halulka- mwhalulka@gmail.com
Youth Divisions, Neil McNab- neil_mcnab@hotmail.com
But act fast because the last day to register is November 7th!🗓
See ya on the pitch!🏟

2021 Father Christmas Cup

Father Christmas Cup is an annual charity soccer event held at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta. We honor and support families experiencing significant loss during the holiday season through donation, community and by celebrating the lives of their lost loved ones.
*100% of proceeds go to the beneficiaries
We are looking forward to a full day of remembrance, camaraderie, and support. We have adult and youth teams playing soccer. We also have many great raffle prizes for both kids and adults. Come out and support the families.
*Check this page often for updated information.
We are proud to announce that once again, Atlanta United and the Arthur Blank Foundation are our top sponsors.
For Corporate Sponsorship opportunities please contact Stephen O’Hare at stephenohare@pedors.com or Jeb Smith at jeb.smith@jjms.net.
Donations—
Please encourage your club members to consider soliciting friends and family to make a donation.
If you can’t make it on the day but would still like to contribute, please make a donation online at https://www.fxcup.org/donate/
or via mail to:
Father Christmas Cup, Inc.,
5300 Oakbrook Pkwy, Suite 300
Norcross, GA 30092.
Checks should be made payable to ‘Father Christmas Cup, Inc.’
100% of proceeds will go to support the sponsored families.
Thank you for your support.

A Father Christmas Cup Story

Earlier last year, Denzel Clark, a former student at Greater Atlanta Christian School and a talented soccer player, unfortunately, lost his mother and father in what can only be described as tragic circumstances. At the time, Denzel was playing Division 1 soccer at Gardner-Webb University in NC and The Father Christmas Cup was able to make a small contribution towards some of the funeral costs. Despite all the difficulties, Denzel himself still graduated from Gardner-Webb and continued to excel on the soccer field.
Denzel’s high school friend and fellow soccer teammate, Stewart Abrahart, invited him to play in The Father Christmas Cup as part of the Global Image Sports (GIS) team, one of the main sponsors of the event. This turned out to be a serendipitous event for Denzel but also became a heartwarming Christmas story about the hope of a brighter future for the family.
As luck would have it, The GIS team was drawn in the same section of the competition as the shirt sponsor, Atlanta United FC, (part of the new Atlanta MLS franchise), who entered a strong team featuring some pro players as well as AUFC President Darren Eales and Technical Director and former US Men’s National Team Captain Carlos Bocanegra.
It was Denzel’s overhead bicycle kick that caught the eye of recently appointed AUFC Youth Soccer Director Tony Annan. As a result, Tony helped arrange a trial with San Antonio FC, a professional soccer team based in San Antonio, Texas that will make their debut in the United Soccer League ahead of the 2016 season. GIS helped Denzel with his travel expenses and he reports that so far, everything has gone well.
Everyone from the Father Christmas Cup and the extensive soccer community across the region is pulling for Denzel in the hope that his Christmas wish comes true. Whatever the outcome of his two-week trial, however – this story serves to show that there will always be positive opportunities ready to come along and provide some hope where it is needed.
We’ll keep you posted on the story here –

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2015 FX Cup – Our Best Year Yet


The 2015 Father Christmas Cup is in the books and we are proud to announce that, for the first time ever, we topped $50,000!

A big “THANK YOU” goes out to the Atlanta soccer community and the continued generosity of all the players and spectators.

We’d also like to formally thank ALL of our corporate sponsors this year. Their collective support resulted in an increase of 30% for our receipts. A special s/o goes to the following –

Sponsors

Atlanta Silverbacks once again donated 100% of all the field time, ensuring that we have a place to host over 1,000 players in the adult co-ed league, youth league and, newly added, all-women’s league.

Atlanta Silverbacks Park
Atlanta Silverbacks Park

Global Image Sports (a sports management company that provides opportunities and experiences via the formation of strategic partnerships in the sports industry) contributed all of the signed, professional jerseys from across the EPL and La Liga -generating hundreds of dollars and a lot of excitement in our online silent auction!

Arsenal FC Signed Jersey
Arsenal FC Signed Jersey

NEW THIS YEAR: The FX CUP stepped up its digital game! Partnering with FreshTix, an Atlanta based ticketing platform, players were able to register online as well as purchase tickets to the raffle for the first time since the very first Cup was hosted in 2003!

Last, but certainly not least, Atlanta United FC became our anchor corporate sponsor for the first time …not to mention, entered a team which included Techincal Director, Carlos Bocanegra and President, Darren Eales. We all believe strongly that the FX Cup is so much more than winning any one game but, no doubt, AUFC will be the team to beat in 2016!

Atlanta United FC
Atlanta United FC

Proudly, our all-volunteer based organization is able to disburse close to 97% of the funds raised to Atlanta families missing a parent for the first time at Christmas.

This year’s beneficiaries were all very appreciative and all have requested that we share that with everyone involved.

The provisional date for the 2016 FX Cup is December 17th. We hope you’ll keep up with us in the meantime on –

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