iomart crowned Scotland national champions in the capital
JDRF win big as iomart and Sky scoop bumper donation at Business Fives Scotland national final
Business Fives summer season in Scotland culminated in Edinburgh with the Scotland national final. Companies had qualified from events throughout Scotland and assembled in Edinburgh from travelling from Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow. 19 companies took part playing 56 matches and hitting the back of the net 278 times in a goal fest which included the 9,000thgoal of Business Fives events.
200 companies joined forces over the summer to raise over £23,571 for charities across the nation with eventual finalists iomart Group plc and Sky scooping £3,000 for diabetes research charity, JDRF while Johnston Carmichael won £930 for the My Name is Doddie Foundation as a result of winning the Europa League section.
Ambassadors Alex Rae and Mark Wilson were on hand to entertain the players with a post-match debrief and sharing stories from their trophy-laden playing careers. They handed out the trophies to the successful teams and the race to be top fundraisers was hotting up with Baker Hughes GE raising £600 for MacMillan and the Montrose Community Trust, the Wheatley Group raising £750 for their own foundation and Johnston Carmichael combining to raise £1,105 for the My Name is Doddie Foundation.
On the pitch, fixtures came thick and fast for the companies with the opening group stages dictating whether the teams competed in the Champions League section or the Europa League section where a further round robin group phase decided the positions for the quarter finals of both the respective competitions.
John Ritchie, iomart’s Financial Controller and their team captain, said “We were very proud of the team that won and it was a great team building opportunity that allowed us to bring staff from different departments to compete in the event. We have been playing in support of JDRF for a few years now and we are delighted our efforts on the pitch have won them the donation.
We always enjoy being a part of the events and I’m aware of the organisation and hard work behind the scenes that went into making it a success.”
Carol Kennedy, Regional Fundraiser at JDRF in Scotland said: “JDRF is very lucky to have the support of iomart and Sky. We are all working towards a cure for type 1 diabetes and with the research that is happening here in Scotland and around the world, we feel that it is in our grasp. That’s why the generous donation we have received will help us achieve our goals.”
Having found themselves in the Champions League quarter finals iomart came up against rivals Grant Thornton in the Quarter finals, an encounter they won 2-1. Their semi final opponents Freeagent had knocked out Ashurst before losing 3-2 to the iomart team who were finding form.
Sky came through their quarter final tie against Dougall Baillie Associates on penalties before overcoming last summer’s beaten finalists, Scottish Water who had overcame Wheatley Group in their quarter final tie. With both finalists playing for JDRF they have decided to jointly gift the winning donation of £3,000 to the charity.
The final was a brilliant affair with Kris Todd from iomart being singled out as the man of the match, helping his side to a 2-0 victory although the clean sheet from the iomart shop stopper was a significant contributor to securing the win as Sky pressed to find a way back into the game only to be denied at every opportunity.
In the Europa League section, the quarter final line up was between Dunedin Canmore, Digby Brown, Head Resourcing, Farne Salmon & Trout, CALA Homes, Mabbett & Associates, AutoRek and Johnston Carmichael.
Head Resourcing secured a place in the final courtesy of wins over Digby Brown and Mabbett & Associates. For Johnston Carmichael they had to get passed AutoRek and Farne Salmon & Trout to have a shot at the charity prize money.
The firm of accountants and business advisors held their nerve in the final to win 2-1 after conceding penalty early on which was saved by goalkeeper, Ross Proudfoot who ambassador Mark Wilson singled out Johnston Carmichaels as the man of the match.
Laura Crumlish from Wheatley Group was named as the Player of the Tournament for the second time. The top goal scorer was James Robertson from CALA Homes who scored 13 goals as they reached the quarter-final stage.
The final in Edinburgh draws the curtains on the Scotland National Summer season for 2019. The summer season will officially be over after the England national final this week on Friday 4th October in Leeds. Once that is completed the preparation for the 2019/2020 winter season begins as Business Fives hosts over 20 events across the UK, the most in the company’s history.
