11th June was a special day for Christians in Birmingham. It was the day they had long prayed for, and it had finally arrived. We were privileged to be a part of this 'Hope 2000 Brum' event which was a 'Millennium Spectacular' staged to celebrate the faith that has shaped the life of our city and the hope that is Christ's gift for today.
We were able to contribute in two main ways: the Senior Band provided a selection of music during the afternoon, and the football team kept the crowds entertained in a somewhat different manner! Yes, it's not how Salvationists normally spend their Sunday afternoons (hopefully!), but it did provide the opportunity to mix with our fellow Christians from around the city.
The football tournament was open to all church teams in the Birmingham area. It was divided into three age groups: 11-14, 15-18 and 18+. We entered one team into the over 18 section (obviously). Each team played two games in the group stage.
Our first match was against Redditch which we won 4-0, our second was against Raglan Road which we won 1-0. After two wins we qualified for the final which was against Riverside; unfortunately we were beaten 1-0. A total of 10 teams entered our age group.
The players were: