With the World Cup sparking football fever around the globe, for the buzzing Hornets of Histon nothing matters more than their annual home fixture. Ex-Hornet and young referee Oisin Buttner Leader chatted with Chair Caroline Lamont Smith to bring us match highlights from this year’s tournament.
The annual Histon Hornets tournament, a highlight of the local grassroots football season for well over a decade, proved once again why it remains a cherished fixture in the village calendar.
This year saw a significant downsizing with only 124 teams playing compared to last year’s 215. Hornets Chair Caroline credits this to a number of things including the installation of a new 3G pitch at IVC. That said, Caroline believes the removal of 272 games from last year’s schedule “helped the day run more smoothly” and allowed each team to have ample time and attention awarded to them without organisers and volunteers being run off their feet – creating a more relaxed and enjoyable experience overall.
The team behind the teams
Anyone who has previously attended the tournament can get a sense of the enormous effort that goes into organising it. Caroline shares that the vital all-volunteer team behind the scenes consists of “a tight committee of half a dozen” who plan it, organise fixtures, arrange trophies, sort refreshments, support and organise referees, manage communications and much more.
Then on the day, Caroline and her committee steady the ship, assigning dozens of volunteer roles to the team of helpers. She shares: “it’s important that everyone feels they contribute on the day and that everyone has a known role.” Those roles include marshalling the car park, collecting rubbish or making sure scheduled events run efficiently.
This weekend really illustrated how it takes a village to run an event of this scale!
First steps into football
A real highlight was seeing some of the younger age groups coming through. For the under 7’s and 8’s groups who still play non-competitive football this may have been the first time the children played a competitive game – and it was great they could be introduced to it in a safe and fun environment.
And for the slightly older age groups – u9-u12 – Caroline believes that playing in a competitive environment “allows everyone to have fun and not be deterred from a young age”.
Many children playing this weekend will, of course, also have been inspired by this year’s World Cup in North America – with their own tournament allowing players to emulate their heroes Jude Bellingham, Lionel Messi or Erling Haaland!
It’s also important to remember that every great player begins at this level. Caroline feels that tournaments like Histon’s are “the heart of grassroots football” and with government funding and facilities for local sport in the last decade being reduced for teenagers, weekends such as these are paramount for inspiring the next generation.
Hornets buzzing in the sun
The hornets gave a brilliant account of themselves submitting over 25 teams throughout the weekend with an impressive seven reaching semi-final stage.
While no Histon team proved victorious, the Hornets u12 Burgundy mixed team lasted the longest and only lost their final through a hard-fought penalty shoot out. Every Hornets team played free flowing, attacking football to the delight of their supporters.
The players may not have won silverware, but they created an enjoyable experience and embodied what the tournament was all about.
A weekend defined by respect
It was clear throughout the two days that there was a genuine focus on respect from both players, managers and supporters. When there were rare occasions where supporters became agitated, the players refused to let the sweltering heat cloud their judgements and showed great sportsmanship and respect for their opposition.
This was evident in an incident in a girls’ fixture where opposition players stopped a game to help an injured goalie despite being in a scoring position themselves. This represented the ethos of the weekend where winning took a back seat, and the children were able to play without stress or expectation.
From Hornets to future Lionesses
The girls’ competition on the Saturday was another highlight, with over eight Hornets teams registered in four age groups and one team making it to the semi-finals.
Women’s football has come on leaps and bounds, from being illegal from 1921 to 1971 to the incredible success of the Lionesses over the last decade. Histon Women’s First Team Manager Darren Marjoram and player Mollie Childerley were on hand at the tournament with Mollie noting, “the skill level has progressed massively in the last decade”.
Despite football being the fastest growing women’s sport in the UK unfortunately, discrimination, minimal funding and poor facilities still present themselves. Mollie shares, “opportunities like today are imperative for creating a social environment where girls can enjoy and be introduced to football.”
Young people at the heart of the action
Youth players also have a huge role to play in running this event, with the Hornets Players Council helping to register teams and allowing visiting teams to have a great experience. Helen Gass who runs the council shares: “It is their event, their sport – so why shouldn’t they have a say?”
We also enjoyed a display of brilliant refereeing over the weekend. Despite the occasional backlash from over-eager fans and managers, the referees, aged mostly between 15-18, showed great resilience.
Marshalled by head ref Joel Furniss, whose passion for training up youth referees and grassroots football can’t be overstated, he reveals how the tournament “develops the refs’ matchday experience and builds confidence.”
Coming home?
Another year, another successful Hornets tournament! None of which would be possible without Caroline and her committee, so everyone involved should be incredibly proud.
While all eyes are across the pond in support of England this summer it was joyous to witness this little village take centre stage even just for a short while.
Histon Hornets would like to thank Impington Village College for hosting the tournament and all the local sponsors that contributed to this year’s tournament.
All photos by Oisin Buttner Leader.
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