IOWFA 2015: Review

Another year, another tournament. This year's IOWFA was a gripping affair from the first minute to the last. We entered the tournament unsure of a clear favourite or a clear 4th place. The twists and turns of the tournament meant that we were left with what was effectively a final between two strong teams.

The first defining result was when Ben Cameron's Stoke City side kicked off their campaign for a third successive IOWFA Title with a 3-1 victory over Columbus Crew managed by bitter rival Peter Hardman. This tipped the scales heavily in Cameron's favour and everyone knew that, without some divine intervention, the tournament would be Camerons for the third year on the trot.

Despite this setback for Peter Hardman, he went on to win his next 6 matches, scoring 35 goals and conceding 0. 

Early on his tournament, Fred Hardman, managing Real Madrid, had a decisive victory over Wigz, giving him high chances of St Cecilias Cup qualification, as well as an outside chance of the title. The follow up match between the two sides saw a 0-0 draw, but all the same, secured Fred a comfortable 3rd place.

At this stage in the tournament the odds were stacked up in Ben's favour for vicotry, but an exciting match sure to go down in IOWFA history saw Fred draw to Ben in a 4-4 thriller. This legendary performance by Fred blew open the whole tournament and allowed Peter to enter the last game against Ben, which effectively became the final.

The stage was set for a much hyped finale, which was to decide the winner of IOWFA 2015 however chances were few and far between. The match ended 1-0 to Peter - the only goal being a 30th minute penalty. Ben missed his own penalty in the 60th minute which meant he could not claw it back for the third consecutive tournament. Peter had won!

Another year, another tournament and as always we were not short of highs, lows, and heartbreak. The tournament had more twists and turns than the journey from Stockport to Ryde. The Chairman would like to extend his gratitude to all involved, including our sponsor, Wightlink Ferries, all the people at the White House and the IOWFA staff. Bring on next year!