Aberdeen charity football event sees Balmoral come out on top
The Aberdeen charity football event for football-loving firms saw 15 teams take part in the Business Fives five a side tournament in the Granite City as firms combined to raise over £3,300 for charity.
Off the pitch it was Apache, Ernst & Young and DNV GL who were competing for the top fundraisers of the event raising £580, £540 and £530 for their respective charities Hamish Dears Warm Hugs, Cornerstone and the RNLI.
The action on the pitch saw 129 goals in 38 matches and a worthy winner as Balmoral Offshore overcame reigning champions Anderson Anderson & Brown in a thrilling final.
In all five teams qualified from the event for the national final as both finalists were joined by Burness Paull who overcame Aberdein Considine in the quarter finals, DNV GL who edged past Add Energy in their quarter final match up and Aberdeen Standard Investments who have raise £300 for Dementia UK.
Other notable charity contributions came from Interwell who raised £80 for Archie Foundation, PwC who raised £286.80 for Charlie House, Add Energy who raised £185 for Northsound Rasdio Cash for Kidsand Burness Paull who raised £350 for Charlie House – bringing the grand total raised this winter season to £8,721 so far.
On the pitch it was DNV GL, Anderson Anderson & Brown, Burness Paull and Balmoral who made it through the quarter finals into the Champions League semi-finals.
The final saw the Balmoral crowned the champions at the Aberdeen charity football event as they enjoyed a 2-1 victory over AAB, with Neil Rankins fine solo goal helping him to win the man of the match award for a great performance.
Both teams secured their passage to the Business Fives final in Edinburgh on 22 March.
Over in the Europa League – which provides a fifth team which didn’t win their group with a route to the March final – the semi finals were contested between PwC, Optimus Aberdeen, Aberdeen Standard and Oceaneering.
The Aberdeen Standard team were finding form and ran out comfortable winners against Oceaneering despite the efforts of tournament top goal scorer, Chris MacDonald.
They will go on to join teams from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee in the finals with further events to come in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Sunderland and Tees Valley before the national final.
