Scotland’s Energy & Utilities sector was well represented in Business Fives summer season as they raised the second highest amount for a single amount so far, over £3,677 for various charities as they bid to earn their place in the final of the national business five-a-side tournament.

The rain held off as the summer season continued in Glasgow as companies combined to push Business Fives passed the £14,500 milestone for charities.  Tournament ambassadors Amy McDonald, Lee Mair and Jim Melrose were on hand to share their football stories with the players in careers that saw them play for 26 clubs in Scotland and England between them.

Admirable fundraising efforts from Aviva saw them raise a staggering £790.27 via a charity race night for their chosen charity East Dunbartonshire Initiative for Creative Therapy (EDICT) and amount that was fund matched by their company as only the second team to go through a tournament this summer with a 100% win rate.  Eventual Champions League finalists Scottish Water raised £700 for their chosen charity WaterAid as they booked their spot in the national finals.  Europa League champions Scottish Gas raised £100 for MacMillan as they qualified from the best of the rest section.

Other notable contributions came from Chemco International who raised £250 for CCLASP on their way to a quarter final exit against Shell.    RPS Group narrowly missed out on penalties to EDP Renewables at the same stage having collected £80 for TreeAid, EDP Renewables playing for CLDF won that shootout.

Waukesha Bearings also reached the quarter finals raising £140 for Prostate Cancer UK.  George Leslie raised £100 for Headway Glasgow as they reached the semi-final stages.   Weir Group, who raised £80 for Maggies, gave up their 100% record as they were unable to overcome Scottish Water in the semi-finals.

The quarter finals of the Europa League served up a law firm derby as Lindsays, who raised £80 for St Vincent’s Hospice, ran out 3 nil winners over CMS Scotland who donated £50 to Room to Read, £10 for every goal the team scored throughout.  Oil giants, Shell had 3 teams in playing for Glasgow Women’s Aid but missed out on the qualification to win the overall Business Fives donation for them.  Ideeas lost out to eventual winners Aviva in the quarter finals on penalties after they squeezed into the Champions league stages on goal difference.

MacMillan, EDICT and WaterAid are the three charities still in with the chance of winning the overall Business Fives donation as their corporate supporters head to the final.

On the pitch, the tournament initially saw 4 groups of teams playing to qualify for the Champions League and Europa League stages.   It was EDP Renewables and Aviva who were scoring freely notching up 29 goals between them in their opening group fixtures.  They were joined in the Champions League section by Weir Group and Scottish Water as group winners and it was those four teams who progressed on to the Semi Finals against their opposition.

The 3 teams from Shell managed 26 goals on their way to quarter and semi-final exits.  In the Europa League it was Lindsays and Scottish Gas who were beginning to find their form as they made their way to the final.  Anthony Howden scored 5 goals in a 9-3 thriller as he picked up the top scorer award for the heat with Scottish Gas booking their place in the national final.

With both Champions League finalists safely securing their passage to the national final it was Aviva and Scottish Water who played out a very tight final after overcoming EDP Renewables and Weir Group respectively.  It was Aviva playmaker Derek Ward who picked up the man of the match award with a stunning goal in the final as Aviva picked up the trophy with a 3-2 win.

The action continues this month with 2 more industry sector qualifiers in Edinburgh as the tournament aims to double its original £10,000 target for charitable causes throughout Scotland.  Follow all the action online on the Business Fives social media channels and website.