The 11th edition of the annual Festiphil Tournament took place on the Philathletic Ground on Saturday afternoon, once more pitting four mixed sides of schoolboys and OHAFC players against one another in a round-robin tournament.

OHAFC 3rd XI skipper Joss Awdry became the fourth Old Harrovian in history (following in the footsteps of Alex Gilbert, Nick Warner and Mark Baddeley) to retain the Cup when his Green team saw off the challenge of Ludo Palazzo’s Yellows by the narrowest of margins – both sides ended the tournament with seven points from their three games played, both sides had a goal difference of seven; but the need for a penalty shootout to separate the sides was averted due to the Greens having scored five goals to the Yellow’s four.

In contrast to the stiflingly hot conditions of the last few seasons, this year’s event took place in far more comfortable temperatures, with the wet summer ensuring that the pitches were in excellent condition. Yellow’s skipper Palazzo was organising the competition on behalf of the old boys for the first time, ably assisted, as ever, by the tireless efforts behind the scenes from Fred and Jackie Woolley. Master in charge of Soccer Robbie Tominay-Nevado was also able to enlist the attendance of a stronger group of schoolboys than last year, even if the majority of the 1st XI were still held back ahead of a 7-a-side tournament the following day.

Despite this, there was still plenty of quality on show from players of all ages. The Greens defeated the Reds, led by Ed Nicholson, 2-1 on the main pitch, the Yellows being held 1-1 by the Purple team, being led by new 2nd XI Joint-Captain Miles Kellock. Yellows triumphed in the MLS-style penalty shootout to earn two points from the tie, Purples taking just the one. The Yellows then faced the Greens on the lower pitch in the second game and one which had the hallmark of a potential title decider. Sure enough, the two sides couldn’t be separated, playing out a hard-fought goalless draw, before the Yellows once more triumphed on penalties. Both sides would win their final matches, Greens defeating the Purples 3-2, Yellows beating the Reds 3-1. Following a rather lengthy consultation in the Alcock Pavilion, the Greens were declared the winners by the narrowest of margins.

Headmaster Alastair Land was on hand to present the trophy and winners medals to Joss Awdry and his team, with Isaac Humphrey collecting the Young Player of the Tournament Award for the best schoolboy performer.

Huge thanks are due to the School and Masters involved for the staging of the tournament, a vital link between Harrovian footballers past and present, as well as a useful addition to the pre-season programme. Photos from the tournament can be viewed on OH Connect here.