COME ON YOU FURZE…

The Furze Wren (Bexleyheath) have made it a hat-trick of victories in the annual pub staff charity football tournament.

The team from southeast London, captained by deputy manager Bill Jarman, won the KICK for Young Lives vs Cancer 2025 tournament.

The Furze team beat The Rodboro Buildings (Guildford) 2-0 in the final, to take home the coveted trophy for the third consecutive year.

Bill said: “Last year, it was good to be the first pub to win back-toback titles, but this year we have made a little bit of history, winning three times in a row, which feels brilliant.

“It was a good day. We all enjoyed it – and it was great to raise funds for a fantastic charity.”

The five-a-side football fundraising event, which first kicked off in 2002, raised £365,000, for young people with cancer, throughout the 2025 tournament.

In the national finals, held at Goals (Wembley), the teams battled it out to take the trophy, as well as the bragging rights for 2025.

The tournament began in September, when more than 400 pub teams, from across England, Scotland and Wales, took part in regional heats across the UK.

The winners of each of those regional competitions went through to compete in the national final at Wembley.

The other national finalists were The Black Boy (Newtown), The Imperial (Exeter), The London and South Western (Battersea), The Sir Samuel Romilly (Barry), Abraham Darby (Brierley Hill), The Francis Newton (Sheffield), The Admiral Byng (Potters Bar) and The White House (Luton).

In the runners-up plate competition, The Black Boy beat The London and South Western 2-1 in that final.

Sophie Hartley, partnership fundraiser at Young Lives vs Cancer, said: “We want to say a huge thankyou to all of the staff involved in this year’s KICK for Young Lives vs Cancer 2025 tournament.

“It’s been great to see so many teams from across the UK competing for the trophy.

“Massive congratulations to the winning team from The Furze Wren pub, who are officially Team Young Lives Legends, with their incredible dedication to KICK for Young Lives vs Cancer.

“This event raises a huge amount every year and we’re so grateful to everyone involved, as it really makes a difference to the young cancer patients and families we’re here to support.”

The partnership between Wetherspoon and Young Lives vs Cancer has raised more than £26 million since it first began in 2002. Young Lives vs Cancer is the leading UK charity for children and young people (0–25) with cancer and their families.

From the moment of diagnosis, specialist social workers provide day-to-day support for each child, young person and family, from information and guidance to financial support.

The charity works in all main children’s cancer treatment centres across the UK, working closely with doctors, nurses and other NHS professionals as an integral part of the team caring for children and young people with cancer.