THIS year’s Railway Football Tournament, held at Racing Club Warwick’s Townsend Meadow ground, raised more than £7,000 for charity.
The annual charity event has now raised more than £20,000 for charity and other good causes.
Organiser Gary Smith set up the tournament in 2022 in support of the MND Association. He has staged the event every year since.
The 2026 edition featured 35 teams and around 350 players with eight trophies up for grabs.
And this year’s competition raised £7,175.12 to take the overall funds raised to £20,984.83 across five years of hosting the event.
Smith, who works for Network Rail, said: “It’s our biggest total yet by some margin, I can’t thank everyone who takes part enough.
“I want to say a massive thank you once again to Gary Vella [Racing Club Warwick chairman], without him this would not be possible, and all of his staff members at the club.
“My committee members Mark Ryder, Benjamin Fairhurst, Phil Langdon, Hugh Robbins and Phil Allen.
“All my volunteers and the amazing photographers David Bray and Jason Grant.
“The seven match officials and everyone who donated money and a prize for the raffle.
“Nadia Davies from Colebridge Trust and Jacqui Grove and Sophie Hele from Helping Hands for coming to support on the day.
“And finally, a big thank you to the lovely Lesley Husbands and her son Rory who this year sold a whopping £943.24 worth of raffle tickets.”
The funds have been split between several charities and good causes.
Donations have been made to the Colebridge Trust, Helping Hands, the British Liver Trust, Legend on the Bench and the MS Society.
Funds were also donated to other causes including Remember Rufus and those diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.
