Advisers, brokers, consultants and providers graced the turf at Horsham FC with their football skills last week, battling it out for the inaugural Synchronicity Insurance Cup.
The event, organised by Synchronicity Insurance MD Dan Small, brought together around 40 players from 23 intermediary and provider organisations.
Team Blue, sponsored by Global Benefits Group and Health & Protection, got off to a flying start against Team Pink, sponsored by Capulus and Pinnacle, when GBG’s Darren Fletcher drove in a long range effort that left keeper Paul Firkins of Hood Group no chance.
Umberto Oliva of Verlingue followed suit five minutes later with another net-buster.
Aetna’s Bal ‘Inzaghi’ Basra then popped up like a fox in the box to coolly slot home from close range to make the score 2-1 and restore some hope for the Pink team.
But the Pink comeback wasn’t to be as Nick Hale of Engage Healthcare scored with a cool flick at the near post before Daniel Woods of Now Health scored with another fine long range effort.
Hale bagged another goal with a header from a Paul Russell of Bupa Global cross, while Oliva claimed another with a cool finish and then Richard Grover of Wingate Employee Benefits drove in the goal of the game, a 40 yard strike to round off victory for the Blues.
Richard Grover, captain of the Blue team picked up the trophy from match sponsor Martyn Hardy of Pinnacle Cost Claims Solutions. Claire Hargreaves of GBG presented the Player of the Match for the Blue Team to John McQuillan (Teladoc) and Darren Ovenden of Capulus presented Player of the Match for the Pink team to Bruno Coelho (Aetna).
Team line-ups:
Pinks (sponsored by Capulus and Pinnacle)
Paul Firkins (Hood Group) – Goalkeeper
Matt Crudgington (Aetna) – Goalkeeper
Stuart Perry (Synchronicity Insurance)
Bal Basra (Aetna)
Bruno Coelho (Aetna)
Tom Braithwaite (Optimum)
Andy O’Cain (Aetna)
Jon Day (Pinnacle)
James Elliott (Bupa)
John Price (Aetna)
Daniel Stoner
Martyn Swann (Aetna)
Matt Bradley (Bupa)
Martin Frogley (Newcastle United)
Dan Holmes (Aetna)
Neil Heasman (CEGA)
Kevin Melton
John Kaye (United Healthcare)
Jerome Newman (Integra Global)
Blues (sponsored by Global Benefits Group and Health & Protection)
Dan Small (Synchronicity Insurance) – Goalkeeper
Jamie McCarthy (Taurus Insurance) – Goalkeeper
Steve Barber (Aston Lark)
Dan Frollini (Allianz)
Rob Carter (Brightside Group)
Bruce Reid (Hood Group)
Mark Izzard (Taurus)
Daniel Woods (Now Health)
Ian Abbott (Engage Health Group)
Andrew Tolman (Allianz)
John McQuillan (Teladoc)
Darren Fletcher (Global Benefits Group)
Umberto Oliva (Verlingue)
Nick Slimmon (Cigna)
Richard Grover (Wingate Employee Benefits)
John Greenwood (Health and Protection)
Ric Mustard (Aviva)
Nick Hale (Engage Health Group)
Paul Russell (Bupa)
