Earlier this summer, Arsenal joined forces with the Kicks Not Flicks team to host the annual charity five-a-side football tournament at The Arsenal Hub.
The event gathered players and supporters from across London, all eager to showcase their skills, but the main objective was to raise funds and awareness for the Ben Kinsella Trust, an anti-knife crime organisation and charity partner of Arsenal’s No More Red campaign. As ever, the Kicks Not Flicks team – Connor Durnell, Rasheed Alawiye, Joseph Charm, Eli Delisser, Wayne Shand, and Scott Innes – did us proud.
This marks the sixth tournament at The Arsenal Hub since it began in 2017, initially supporting the survivors of the Grenfell fire tragedy. In 2018, Kicks Not Flicks redirected its focus to address the growing issues of knife crime and youth violence.
As always, DJ Bonny elevated the atmosphere, filling the air with the beats of UK and US hip-hop, afrobeat and dancehall. In addition, The Arsenal Hub Coordinator Dean Miller arranged for a raffle prize of a club shirt signed by the first-team squad.
The final four teams were Konate Kid, Papachinos, No Tek FC, and last year’s champions, Mariners. No Tek FC, an early tournament favourite, dominated the group stage, including a 3-2 victory over the Mariners, and comfortably secured a spot in the final after a commanding 5-2 semi-final win over Konate Kid. Mariners, however, held their nerve after a 1-1 draw with Papachinos, clinching a final berth through a penalty shootout.
In an epic final, the Mariners held off a late push from No Tek FC to emerge as the first back-to-back champions in the tournament’s history. Congratulations to the Mariners!
Pat Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust, addresses participants ahead of the big kick-off
Dean Miller, Community Development Coordinator at Arsenal in the Community, said, “I’ve been working closely with the Kicks Not Flicks team this year, and it has been a privilege to see their dedication to this event. Our Hub is an important venue for young people in north London, and events like this remind everyone of the core values in our community. Plus there was some really fantastic football on display today.”
Pat Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust, praised the team for their continued support: “We’re incredibly grateful to the Kicks Not Flicks team – they’ve been fantastic for us over the past few years. All funds raised are essential and go towards tech equipment, teaching staff and a range of initiatives to prevent young people from getting involved in criminal behaviour or being affected by violence. Every contribution makes a difference.”
The JustGiving page is still open, so if you’d like to donate, please visit the Kicks Not Flicks fundraiser for The Ben Kinsella Trust here.
For more information and to support The Ben Kinsella Trust, click here.
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