Back of the net! Football competition raises £14,000 for charity
A total of £14,000 has been raised for a charity in the Black Country through a long-standing football competition which dates back to 1926.
The JW Hunt Cop made a return in the 2021-2022 season – after being halted due to Covid-19 – and raised the sum for Beacon Centre for the Blind.
The historic competition, which has raised £390,000 for the sight loss charity, started up again in September last year.
The new season ran until May 2022, with a total of 32 teams competing from across the Black Country, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire.
The 96th JW Hunt Cup final took place at the Castlecroft stadium, in a closely fought match between Lye Town and Boldmere St. Michaels, with Lye Town winning the cup after triumphing 2-1.
JW Hunt Cup President Alex Hamil MBE said: “It is wonderful that that the cup has returned this year, especially with so many teams taking part and finishing with such a fantastic final.
“We are also really happy to have raised such a huge amount for Beacon, who we know have struggled in recent years in the pandemic and who we have supported since our competition began.”
Beacon Centre chief executive Lisa Cowley added: "The continued support we receive from JW Hunt Cup means the absolute world to us, and we deeply value our almost 100-year relationship with the competition.
"After such a difficult few years for the charity, to receive £14,000 will give everyone such a boost, and go a long way towards helping us to provide support to local people with sight loss. We are so grateful to everyone at JW Hunt Cup."
The cup is named in memory of founder John William Hunt, owner of the Chillington Tool Company, who died before the inaugural competition was completed. The competition even has its own museum housed at Molineux in the Steve Bull Stand.
