It was a memorable evening for Penwith College who hosted a memorial game for former player Anthony John Ryan as well as receiving 2 awards on behalf of Cornwall FA.

In memory of a former Penwith College Community Football Club player Anthony John Ryan, the annual memorial game returned for the first time since the COVID-19 Pandemic to see Penwith College Flexi take on Dropship Flexi. Ahead of kick off, a 1-minute silence was held in memory of Anthony. Played in good spirits, the game finished with Dropship Flexi winning 3-1.

Steve Piff from Penwith College said, “it was fantastic to see such support for this event, particularly from Cornwall FA and Dropship. This event is so important to the family and friends of Anthony and to the college that Anthony is remembered annually in this way and any other way we can. It was good to see Dropship win the trophy and we hope to regain the title again next year. Thanks must go to Dave Bartlam and Freddy Ash for arranging the match and teams after lockdown, making sure the event went well”.

Freddy Ash from Penwith College also added, “I’m so pleased that we were able to play the memorial match after 2 Covid-affected years. Anthony is sorely missed by the team, but the memorial match allows us to remember him in such a positive manner.

I would like to thank Cornwall FA for supporting the event, providing photos and the Veo Camera. I would also like to thank our Chairman Steve Piff for livestreaming the entire match on social media so that Anthony’s family could watch. I would also like to thank the club’s sponsor, EatDrinkSleep, for rushing through the order for our new kit so that it was ready for the match. Congratulations to Dropship on the victory, we are all very much looking forward to the fixture next year”.

The memorial fixture also coincided with the presentation of two awards. Firstly, Steve Piff from Penwith College was presented with an award in recognition of the college’s Continued Services to Grassroots Football in the Community. This is recognition of the college’s continued support with the Penwith Flexi-League which sees hundreds of players participate in Flexi-League Football each season.

Additionally Penwith College Community Football Club, who enter a team in the Penwith Flexi-League, have recently achieved it’s England Football Accreditation. Becoming Accredited helps clubs create the experiences and environments where players, coaches and volunteers can thrive. In recognition of this, team manager Freddy Ash was presented with an England Football Accreditation certificate.

George Roberts (Cornwall FA Football Development Officer – Youth and Adult Male) attended the evening and said, “We were grateful to be invited to attend and support the memorial game which was played in good spirits.

It was also great to be able to present Penwith College with the 2 awards. As an organisation they have continued to demonstrate their desire to support grassroots football through allowing their facility to be used by local youth clubs as well as through the support they provide in hosting the Penwith Flexi-League at their college site.

The college’s support for the Penwith Flexi-League allows so many players to participate in football, a lot of which don’t play traditional Saturday football, allowing people in the west of the county to enjoy the physical and mental benefits associated with football”.

If you would like further information on the Flexi-League Football opportunities provided across the County, please click here or contact george.roberts@cornwallfa.com