Onecom is celebrating winning the Southern Regional Finals of The Big Goal, run by the Street Soccer Foundation and hosted alongside Brentford FC Community Sports Trust at Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub, West London on Friday, April 11th – beating last year’s winners Focus Group.
In the final, Onecom beat Focus Group with a fine brace from Product Manager Ross Oulton, a former Northampton Town FC apprentice, and were undefeated across the entire tournament scoring 11 goals and only conceding three.
Martin Flick, CEO commented: “Seeing the industry come together with Keith Mabbutt from The Street Soccer Foundation, Terry O’Brien from Giacom and Nigel Sergent from Comms Dealer was enough for us because the initiative they have launched is changing the lives of disadvantaged young people across the country.”
Zenzero lifted the Spirt of the Tournament Award after losing to Giacom in a penalty shoot-out in the Plate final.
Michael Bateman, CEO commented: “The Big Goal brings the industry together in a brilliant way but, more importantly, the way that disadvantaged young people engage through the football clubs at the Street Soccer Academies gives them a safe space where they can feel empowered. And hopefully the confidence they gain will translate into work skills they can take through into the tech industry.”
Giacom will now go through to the finals to be staged at St George’s Park – the Home of England Football - alongside Onecom, Focus Group, Sky Business (South) and Comms Dealer FC.
All will now compete against qualifiers from the Northern Regionals being hosted by Sheffield Wednesday FC (April 25th) and the Midlands Regionals hosted by Derby County FC (May 9th).
The overall winners of the tournament will go on to represent England in the Corporate World Cup in Morocco in October.
All the winners at the Southern Regionals were: Onecom – Southern Regional Champions; Giacom – Plate Winners; Thomas Ellis, Comms Dealer FC – Golden Boot Award; Lee Alyward, Focus Group – Golden Glove Award; Lewis Croal, Global 4 – Player of the Tournament; Zenzero – Spirit of the Tournament Award; and Owain Heal, Zenzero – World’s Smallest Goal Award!