Coaches, players and their families enjoyed a festival of football as they turned out for the grand finals of the inaugural London Estates Cash Cup, which was organised by 2 Touch Rulz Football

THERE was cash for goals on Sunday as scores of fleet-footed young footballers from across the capital descended on King’s Cross in the hope of netting some serious prize money.

More than 350 youngsters signed up to take part in the inaugural London Estates Cash Cup, a free competition that kicked off back in July.

And at the weekend the winners of their respective heats came together at the Handyside Indoor Sports facility in Canal Reach, bidding not only to win silverware, but also £1,000 in cash.

But bagging the big bucks wouldn’t be easy. The four-a-side tournament, organised by 2 Touch Rulz Football, demands “teamwork and mental maturity” with players being restricted to just two touches.

A grand in the hand for Katanga after they beat Highgate Newtown 8-3 in the Under-12s final

There is no goalkeeper, but parts of each goal are protected by panels – so sharpshooters have to display pinpoint accuracy when trying to find the back of the net.

The teams who did that the best on Sunday were Under-10s winners Highgate Newtown, Under-12s champions Katanga from Westminster, Under-14s victors Sarib, who were also from Highgate, and Under-16s hotshots Camden United.

Each of the triumphant squads shared £1,000 between their players – prize money that came straight out of the pockets of organisers Charlie Browne and Christian Rule.

Explaining why they stuck to such a hefty sum, Charlie, who lives in Holloway, said: “Overall it cost £18,000 to run the competition, £10,000 of which we received from the National Lottery Community Fund, and a further £1,000 from Haringey Council. Another £2,000 came from revenue raised by previous 2 Touch Rulz Football events, and then myself and Chris put in £5,000 from our own pockets.

Camden’s deputy mayor Cllr Nazma Rahman and her daughter Mairah, 2, along with Scotland’s first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal winning gymnast Steve Frew (in the baseball cap) were among those who presented trophies and medals. They joined 2 Touch Rulz Football founder Charlie Browne (far right) in congratulating Under-14s victors Sarib following their 7-1 victory over Camden United in the final

“I earn less than £20,000 a year, so that’s a lot of money for me, but I would do it again. Times are really hard right now, and so many people are struggling. We wanted to support the players and give them as much prize money as we could afford to try and maybe help them and their families out a little.”

Focusing on the pitch, the demanding rules certainly help the young players improve their awareness and ability to shield the ball, as well as sharpening their ball control and skill. But the game is about so much more than that.

Charlie Browne with Under-10s champions Highgate Newtown, who beat The Lions 7-3 in the final

“It gets players working together and helps them develop collective thinking,” said Charlie. “To be successful you need teamwork, you need to support your teammates – but you also need to be supported. That’s a life lesson that transcends football.

“We want these young people to go back home and understand how their local communities work, how important it is to work together and support each other, just like they would when they’re on the pitch.”

Breaking down how the tournament brought players together, Charlie added: “Our goal is always to give as many young people as possible the chance to play and develop their football.

Massive celebrations for Camden United, who beat Castlehaven 7-2 in the Under-16s final

“When we went onto the estates all across London we had kids looking out of their windows at what we were doing, and then coming down to join in. They would see other kids that they recognised but maybe didn’t know that well, and they’d form a team. They would then take it upon themselves to practise together – the game became the coach.

“We saw on Sunday that the teams that did the best were the ones that supported each other and had trained together to master the rules.

“In fact, with the exception of Camden United, the other winners weren’t all from a club where they had played together before. They were teams who came together for the first time just to play in this tournament – and now they’re going home with £1,000 to share for their efforts!”

To find out more about 2 Touch Rulz Football visit www.2trfootball.com