Experience prevails in a hard-fought Staff vs Students charity football match

The moment the announcement was made, the entire student body erupted in enthusiasm with almost every student volunteering as tribute tasked with the mission of dismantling the staff team. As a key member of both the charities committee and the school’s football team, I was appointed the near impossible job of forming a team for the students that would be a formidable opposing force to the vast experience of the staff team. With successful inconspicuous endeavours to deduce the staff team’s starting lineup, I put out an equally adept team to make for a fascinating 

spectacle. 

To add the student’s contentment prior to the game, it was learned that prominent staff members including Mr Gore (ex Olympic level climber) and Mr Brown (recent graduate of the Carshalton Boys 1st XI) were ruled out of the exhibition through COVID. Mr Walters paired with a Year 13 student, Alex, sat in the commentary box beside the pitch, eager to jeer any misplaced pass or underwhelming performance by their peers. 

Despite an air of confidence among the students, the staff instantly displayed the value of their talented professionals. One man the students had formerly picked out as a one to watch was Mr Karamath. With an abundance of pace, strength and technical ability, the PE staff member would go onto plague the nightmares of every student involved for weeks to come. His intimidating presence bearing down on the student’s back four applied constant pressure and he seemed tireless in his endeavours - the students were instantly taken aback and the sizeable crowd cheered him on vigorously. There was not a moment that he did not require the prowess of two defenders marking him closely at all times which allowed for ample time and space for his teammates. An interview with Arthur Wilson (a defender for the students) told us, “You just wouldn’t expect someone so built to be so fast and technically proficient! He has all the attributes of a professional, it was never fair”.

With the sun in their eyes, the student team fell foul to a poorly kicked clearance which fell kindly for the staff’s star man who slotted it coolly into the bottom right-hand corner to make it 1-0.

Any other team may have been instantly disheartened and allow for the floodgates to become gapingly open for an onslaught following this display of dominance from the opposition striker. Clearly, the students were out of the ordinary. The bumper crowd that had congregated on the sidelines spouted words of encouragement (and ridicule) which lit a flame in the heart of the student team. Following a corner headed clear by a 6’2 centre back on the staff’s team, a ball fell almost perfectly for Felix (Year 13) who volleyed it past the debutant staff keeper. This made it 1-1 going into an important, nail-biting half time break.

Somewhat controversially, the staff team started 3 PE staff members at the commencement of the second half. With a verbal agreement prior to the game between the captains that the staff team would be capped at a maximum of 2 sporting teachers, this sparked a dispute which was never resolved. All staff members remained on the pitch and a disaffected student team would be left to rue not being resolute in their protests. The tired legs of the student centre backs allowed for the substituted PE staff member Mr Oluwu to find himself one on one with the keeper early on in the second half which was a chance he did not fail to take. The crowd was sent into pandemonium and the uphill battle that faced the students would not be one that they were able to emerge victorious from.

Going broke for an equaliser, the students lost their shape in order to create more chances. The atmosphere was almost electric as chance after chance escaped from the students’ grasp. People almost began creeping beyond the sideline boundary impatient for another goal to tip the balance of the game. Nearing the culmination, this final goal did come but it came in the form of a student back two that became the victim of another iconic Mr Karamath run. He capitalised on this gift of an opportunity and smashed it past the keeper to send the crowd into bedlam. Running to meet the crowd, the tumultuous celebrations rubbed salt into the exhausted students’ wounds who collapsed at the sight of an almost unpreventable result. The game ended 3-1 as the extremely strong staff team emerged victorious, surprising spectators and competitors alike with their professional display of experience, strength and maturity.

Despite the result, the entire student and parent body contributed benevolently to the important cause we were supporting - the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian appeal. Even though the event was extremely enjoyable and entertaining, the gravity of the cause was clearly not lost on any contributor. Paired with gate receipts, an online donation page raised almost £4000 for the cause and the spectacle was one that will be remembered for academic years to come for staff and students alike.