Once a year, G4S arranges a five-a-side tournament for its staff. This year Matt Hannon had the dubious honour of doing the legwork to organise the whole affair.

 

There were eight teams pitted against each other, and whole families turned out to watch their partners/siblings/offspring being fouled and abused by work colleagues.

 

Most of the teams were there just for fun, but two or three were determined to win the silverware at any cost.

 

Normally mild-mannered office-staff, organised in packs of five, systematically tripped, elbowed and punched their way to the top of their groups. And the biggest bullies managed to win. (Rainford Branch!)

 

The highlight of my day had to be watching Rainford almost getting beaten by a team containing two adults and three young kids. They did not tone down their fouling antics one bit, one actually smacking a fourteen year old in the face during an "accidental" slip while tackling. It didn’t stop the kids from running rings around the bigger lads. Sadly and inevitably, the kids ended up losing 4-3 in the end.

 

[pics to follow when MSN Spaces lets me upload them]