We want to grow our football team
FOUNDER OF DIVERSE CLUB ORGANISES CONTEST
A BURTON man who set up his own diverse football club is hosting a tournament in a bid to get more players to sign up for his team.
Yemi Huthman is the driving force behind Huthman FC, a football club made up of players from backgrounds including English, Asian and Afro-caribbean.
The team plays in the Staffordshire County Senior Saturday League but Yemi hopes to attract more aspiring footballers from in and around Burton as he plans to expand the team and set up a junior side.
The tournament will be a seven-aside competition consisting of 16 teams and will take place on Sunday, July 4, at Shobnall Leisure Complex, in Shobnall Road, Burton.
To register your team players have to pay £50. The winners of the tournament will get a cash prize of £120 and £80 for the runners up.
Yemi moved to the UK from Nigeria in 2018 and says the purpose of the tournament is to help encourage more players into playing league football and raise some funds for the club.
The 36-year-old, who lives in Branston, said: “I wanted to have a football club where everyone is welcome, regardless of age ability or race. We have a player on our team who is more than 60 years old, but he is playing with people half his age and that is the beauty of team sports.
“Currently the club has been self-funded by myself, but in order for it to grow we need the support of the community and I am confident the tournament will be a success, both on and off the pitch.
“We are hoping to turn the day into a positive event, with food and refreshments on the day. I am working on trying to get a DJ to be there and I have also sorted out an ice cream van to keep people nice and cool.
“So far eight teams have registered their interest, but am confident we will get more teams involved and come the day of the tournament, have a good day and bring people together through football.”
In order for the club to grow we need the support of the community.
Yemi Huthman