FORMER classmates came together for a footballing tribute to a popular friend who died of cancer.
More than 100 ex-students of Salvatorian College in High Road, Harrow Weald, took part in an 11-a-side soccer tournament on Saturday at Barnet FC’s The Hive Football Centre in Camrose Avenue, Edgware, in memory of Sean McCormack, who died aged just 18.
Organiser Daniel Bond, a 22-year-old fitness coach at Oxford United FC, said: “Three years ago we lost our best mate Sean and last year was the first we held a football tournament.
“We did it again this year, although there was a lot more interest. Every team brought their own kit and had trained for a couple of weeks running up to the tournament.
“Sean wasn’t very good at football but he helped coach with our friend Dave O’Connor at St Joseph’s Youth FC and he was a football fan, he supported Tottenham Hotspur, so it seemed fitting.”
Each game lasted 25 minutes and the final was played between Fazio and Bayer Neverlosen, with the former emerging 1-0 winners.
John-Joe O’Toole, a professional footballer with Colchester United FC and who was the year above Daniel and Sean at Salvatorian College, got the winning goal for Fazio while Sean’s younger brother Paul captained the opposition.
Sean’s mother Sue handed out the trophy and gave a thank you speech.
Entry fees, raffle proceeds and donations on the day raised £2,800 for St Luke’s Hospice in Kenton.
Mr Bond said: “When Sean was 18 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and over the last year he got progressively worse. He was at University College Hospital getting treatment and for his last two weeks he was at St Luke’s.
“Everybody from school has gone off to university and work and the tournament was a good excuse to get together to remember Sean. We all went out together afterwards.”
The charity is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a £250,000 fundraising challenge to expand its services.
l See page 39 for more on a recent inspectors’ report of St Luke’s and to find out how to make a donation.
