Putting the boot in

It was a hot summer’s day in Majorca…

Meanwhile, in London, the heavens opened up for a typical English summer day.

The 2010 Brewer Morris Tax football tournament attracted more than 30 entrants – but with just 20 spaces on offer, only the quickest off the mark in applying were able to guarantee a spot.

There were a number of debutant teams this year, most notably CMS Cameron McKenna, Simmons Gainsford and Argenta.

HW Fisher was back with hopes of a third straight victory. The team’s self-styled gaffer, Martin Taylor, was, however, feeling pessimistic. ‘Our team is short of critical manpower, with a few of the boys away on holiday. I’ll be having words’: his sentiment was to prove prophetic.

Due to a last-minute cancellation, Deloitte were a man short.  “Bring it on! We can handle it,” boasted team captain Charlie Parry. Nevertheless, Matthew Dwyer of Brewer Morris kindly volunteered his services to the Deloitte cause.

The boys from Berwin Leighton Paisner were also confident of victory, hot on the heels of a morale-boosting win in an earlier competition.

The games of the Brewer Morris Tax event were divided into group stages, followed by semi-finals and then a final for the group winners, and separate semi-finals and a final for the group runners-up. 

And so to the football…

Once again it was a hotly contested tournament, with the tackles flying in thick and fast. Some contestants turned up with studded boots, hoping to put in some crunching challenges, but the eagle-eyed referees ensured everything ran smoothly and that the teams competed on level terms.

It became apparent early on that HW Fisher was going to have real competition for its crown, with the new teams in particular showing they were definitely in it to win it.

After a keenly contested group stage, HW Fisher lined up against Simmons Gainsford the main semi-finals, which also saw CMS Cameron McKenna taking on Grant Thornton Milton Keynes.

It proved a step too far, however, for the boys of HW Fisher, who lost their game in a tense penalty shootout. CMS Cameron McKenna’s team was in imperious form against Grant Thornton, running out 5-3 winners. 

Hopes were high among the Simmons Gainsford players for a debut tournament victory. But CMS Cameron McKenna was in the groove, as it was to prove in a one sided 6-1 demolition job. The company was the deserved champion.

‘We’ll be back next year,’ promised the losing team’s captain, David Gough.

In a closely contested final, Argenta defeated Goodman Jones 2-1 to win the consolation prize.

Let’s not forget the real reason for the afternoon: to raise money for charity.  Once again it was Clic Sargent that was the beneficiary. The money raised will go towards helping ease the burden of childhood cancer.

See you all next year!

Hu Kabir is an associate director at Brewer Morris global tax recruitment

Categories: Charlie Parry , David Gough , Matthew Dwyer