Whitemeadow Wizards clinch victory at the Sealy Cup

Furnishing industry employees from around the UK descended upon Coventry earlier this month for the sixth annual Sealy Cup five-a-side football tournament, in aid of The Furniture Makers’ Company.

The one-day charity competition, which is generously sponsored by bed brand Sealy and furniture trade magazine Cabinet Maker, took place on Sunday 1 July 2018 at the Coventry Powerleague.

The event was the biggest yet with 15 teams from furnishing retailers, manufacturers and distributors, including Crofts & Assinder, Designer Contracts, Hypnos, Lee Longlands and Sealy, competing on one of the hottest days of the summer with the aim of toppling returning champions Whitemeadow.

All teams were hopeful, but it came down to Crofts & Assinder and the Whitemeadow Wizards battling it out in the final, with the latter putting in some Kane and Maguire-esque performances to once again be triumphant.

In addition to the knock-out tournament, every team got to test their skills against the Burnley FC’s Vintage Clarets, a team of ex-professional football players. The event finished with a presentation and barbeque.

Hayden Davies, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company, said: “This is the first time I’ve attended the Sealy Cup tournament and I came away incredibly impressed by the event. It was a fantastic day out, not just for the many players from across the furniture industry, but their families too – which made it a very special and social occasion.

“I have to pay tribute to the commitment and efforts of all the players, who threw themselves into the competition with vigour. The event is now very much a part of the Furniture Makers’ calendar and I’m sure next year will be even more closely fought. As always, we would like to thank our main sponsor Sealy for helping make the event a resounding success.”

Neil Robinson, sales & marketing director at Sealy, said: “Sealy are delighted at the way that this tournament has grown and developed in recent years. This was the best attended competition to date and it was great to see the enthusiasm, commitment and sense of fair play. We look forward to continuing our sponsorship of the Sealy Cup next year and will be asking the Vintage Clarets to join us again. Well done to all the organisers at Furniture Makers for making it happen.”

Daniel Oscroft, sales manager at Whitemeadow, said: “For the second year running, we enjoyed a fantastic day at the Sealy Cup. Having been crowned champions last year, we had plenty of added pressure, but our boys rose to the occasion, battling through the group stages and knockouts to the final, to once again be victorious and take home the silverware.

“We think the competition is fantastic and a great opportunity for employees within our business to socialise and bond with colleagues that they wouldn’t get the chance to at work. We had a great day and would encourage more companies to come along for the competition next year.”

The date of the next tournament is 30 June 2019.