Faith Football - all equal at full time - then Firefighters lose on penalties to young Lutonians

Pic captions:
(1) Faith - fire team line up
(2) Kelvin Hopkins MP greets the line up from Faith
(3) Faith - fire service mascot smoke detector man
(4) Winning team at Faith event

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service lost for the third year running in the Faith-based Football Community Cup staged at Luton Town FC - but won the bigger prize of keeping people safer at home and on the roads.

The event on Monday 17th May was the climax of a soccer season staged across Luton and sponsored by BLFRS. Called the Faith-based Football League, the games are designed to bring young people from all backgrounds closer together. And, as part of the project, young people meet BLFRS officers and are encouraged to take home fire safety messages to their families, as well as to drive more carefully on the roads.

This is the third year the Community Cup has been staged between a team of BLFRS staff and top players representing the Faith-based Football league. This year was the closest run competition, with the result being decided by penalties. It ended in a hat-trick of wins for the the Faith-based team.

Winners and losers were presented with their trophies by Chair of the Combined Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service Sian Timoney and Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Barker.

Said ACFO Barker:

“This is very important community link for us in Luton, as well as being a great opportunity to combine fire safety with football. We hope the young people involved have learned something about fire and road safety - and may even think about a career in the Fire and Rescue Service - then they can play for us and we can have have a chance of winning a match!”

Southern Area Commander Dave Fothergill whose Area team support and organise the event said: “Participation in this project has enabled us to more effectively engage with our local community and get our home and road safety messages across to young people and their families in Luton and surrounding areas. The project has been a great success and continues to develop with support from Beds Police and Luton PCT.

Organiser of the Faith-based Football League Butch Fazal told BLFRS:

“A big thank you for all the support you have given the project over the past two years and I hope the partnership continues to flourish.

“I thought the finale was an outstanding success and we that continue to build effective and sustainable partnerships.

“Your lads were magnificent and if it wasn’t for the goal post I think the trophy would be sitting in your fire station - 4-2 Year One, 2-1 Year Two, 2 -2 and then penally deciders in this Year 3

“I extend my thanks to everyone behind the scenes at BLFRS who made this year another success, in particular the Community Safety team in Luton .”

Luton Town FC generously allow their professional pitch and conference area to be used free of charge.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller added: “This is the third year of this project which has brought together football teams from all areas of the community and united them in playing football. The finale is a chance to celebrate the success we have achieved in delivering community safety education, as well as encouraging much great participation in sport.

“The partnerships now being established will enable us to continue this community work among a diverse range of communities.”

*The finale was filmed by www.local-news.tv

and shown by Sky Sports News on Wed 19th May