Welcome aboard the home of Hype Train Football Club. Here, you can read the match reports from the train's outing across Saturday & Sunday League action throughout the 2023/24 season, with the team competing in the East Berkshire Football League (EBFL) and the Reading & District Sunday League (RDSL). All aboard.
2023 Gordon Storey Memorial Tournament:
The Gordon Storey Tournament was in honour of Gordon Storey, who was a community leader in the Twyford area that raised thousands for local charities in the honour. This was the 2nd iteration of the tournament and took place on Saturday 15th July 2023, with 8 teams playing across 14 games in 5-a-side action in the name of charity.
The Tournament featured two Hype Train teams and two separate paths to the final, with our team in White winning all of their matches enroute to the final, whilst our Orange team lost their first game and had a longer route to the final, playing three successive matches prior to their final.
In the final in a tight, back-and-forth encounter, Robert Austin scored for team Orange from a set-piece routine, the only goal Jamie Halsall conceded on the day, whilst a quickfire equaliser from Leon Mannion, and a last-gasp winner from Will Longmatey, secured the winning shield for a Hype Train team in what was our first experience of a 5-a-side tournament.
Hype Train Teams:
Orange: Sam Austin (GK), Dominic Eneh, Robert Austin, Sam Bolwell, Jon Watkins, Owen Jones
White: Jamie Halsall (GK), Anwar Mmanga, Joe Sawyer, Will Longmatey, Phil Newport, Leon Mannion
Tournament Results:
Game 1 – Five Amigos 1-0 Hype Train Orange
Game 2 – Slough Town Community 0-8 Hype Train White
Goals: Sawyer (3), Newport (3), Mannion (2)
Game 3 – Team Storey 2-1 Old Top Bins
Game 4 – Twyford Tools 2-0 Twyfordians
Game 5 – Five Amigos 2-1 Twyford Tools
Game 6 – Hype Train White 6-0 Team Storey
Goals: Longmatey (3), Mmanga (2), Mannion
Game 7 – Twyfordians 2-5 Hype Train Orange
Goals: Eneh (3), Bolwell, Watkins
Game 8 – Old Top Bins 1-2 Slough Town Community
Game 9 (Semi-Final 1) – Five Amigos 0-4 Hype Train White
Goals: Mannion, Newport, Longmatey, Own Goal
Game 10 – Team Storey 1-0 Slough Town Community
Game 11 – Twyford Tools 1-3 Hype Train Orange
Goals: R. Austin, Eneh, Jones
Game 12 – Hype Train Orange 2-0 Team Storey
Goals: Own Goal, Jones
Game 13 (Semi-Final 2) – Five Amigos 0-3 Hype Train Orange
Goals: Own Goal, Bolwell, Eneh
The Final – Hype Train White 2-1 Hype Train Orange
Goals: R. Austin (Orange), Mannion & Longmatey (White)
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"Our first experience of a small-sided tournament ended up being a good day for the team. Winning the tournament was a bonus, but largely this was a good day out to get members of the squad together in a light, social environment. The tournament featured fun football for kids and adults, there was top food on offer at the home of Twyford Comets, raffles were on offer for everyone to enter, and overall it was a very nice event in honour of a local community champion.
I would like to thank our player, Owen Jones, for getting us involved in the tournament, and for the tournament organisers and volunteers - Kurt, Lisa, Colin, and company - that put on a really good community day centred about local football. We're looking forward to the event next season, and will help the organisers grow and expand the tournament in the years ahead."
Watch the tournament highlights on YouTube:
Want to know more about The Hype Train?
The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in general football and Fantasy sports reporting, starting with Fantasy Premier League (FPL), before expanding to MLS Fantasy coverage in 2018.
We pride ourselves in providing beautiful graphics, statistics, in-depth analytical reporting and free weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb rankings tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review games, live sport, and professional wrestling.
In 2019, Hype Train Football Club was formed, becoming the first Fantasy Football website to take to the field. HTFC is a socially active team across social and web channels, providing regular match highlights, match reports, comprehensive player statistics and unique player profiles. We won both Goal of the Season Awards in the Berkshire and County FA regions, with Callum Parr-Jones winning the Berks & Bucks FA award, whilst Martin King won the PlaySport UK award.
In 2021, we formed the Reading Sunday Social League (RSSL), a competitive Sunday League involving 8 teams in its debut season. During the 2021/22 season, we won our first-ever trophy, lifting the East Berkshire Football League's Presidents Cup.
The Hype Train were nominated and shortlisted for the 'Best Football Blog' in 2016 by the Football Bloggers Association at their annual Football Blogging Awards (The FBA's), and were again shortlisted as a finalist in 2019 in the 'Best Fantasy Football Blog' category.
You can follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, follow Hype Train FC on Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive content, visit our club's dedicate website, or visit our website here at www.thehypetrain.co.uk
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