In a fiercely contested final under Horsham’s sunny skies, Howden Insurance Brokers made history by becoming the first broker to claim the prestigious FJN six-a-side cup, edging out Unum with a tight 1-0 victory.
Held at Horsham Football Club last Friday, the warm 25-degree temperatures – even warmer on the artificial turf – provided the perfect backdrop for a day of competitive action and camaraderie.
The decisive winning goal in the final was netted by Kyle Tompkins of Howden, while teammate Liam Wilkins was named player of the tournament for his standout performance throughout the day.
The path to the final was hard-fought.
Howden secured their spot by beating FJN 2-0 in the semi-finals, while Unum advanced with a dominant 4-0 win over Bupa.
And adding to the competitive spirit, the two finalists had previously drawn 1-1 in their group stage encounter.
The tournament also crowned its top individual scorer, with the Bupa centre forward known as ‘TC’ from Bupa leading the pack with an impressive 12 goals.
The tournament continued its impressive growth, expanding to 12 teams this year, two more than last year’s event. The expanded roster saw strong representation from across the sector, including two teams from Howden (EB and Commercial), Charles Taylor Assistance, Unum, Bupa Global, Axa Global Healthcare, Brown and Brown, Clear Group, United Healthcare, Now Health International, and Marsh McLennan.
While the final was a nail-biting though low-scoring affair, the tournament itself was a goal-fest, boasting a total of 126 goals, testament to the attacking flair on display from all sides.
That’s a decent number of goals, given that the last FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 saw a total of 172 goals scored – which was a new record for the highest number of goals in a single World Cup tournament.
Notably, this year also marked a significant step for inclusivity, with Dani Moreton and Danielle Smith becoming the first female players to participate in the competition.
Beyond the on-pitch rivalry, the event achieved a significant charitable feat, raising more than £1,200 for Wolfram Syndrome UK, significantly more than was raised at previous events.
Dan Small, managing director at FJN Solutions, said: “We were completely blessed with the weather again and we all agree here that it was the best tournament yet.
“It was a day of a few ‘firsts’ -our first broker winner, our first female players – absolute legends Dani Moreton and Danielle Smith and my son Fin’s first appearance – shame it was for another company and the little blighter scored passed me.
“For team FJN Solutions it was our best performance yet. Unfortunately, we were not good enough to get passed the eventual winners, Howden, in the semi finals. Thanks to Billy Warner, Juan Peña Núñez, James Austin, Ciaran Moores, Bruno Coelho and Daniel Woods for being part of our team.
“Huge thanks also to Horsham FC for being amazing hosts as always. Thanks also to our sponsors for the tournament of Health & Protection, Lexxika and Bupa Global.”
