Teams crowned winners at Glasgow's Govan Fair Cup

Glasgow Times

21 hours ago

Youngsters from both Craigton and St Saviour's primary schools were driven through Govan on Friday, lifting their trophies high as crowds lining the streets cheered them on.
Craigton Primary School's winning team (Image: Newsquest Staff)
Pupils from Craigton had come out on top in the girls' section of the annual football tournament, whilst students from St Saviour's were crowned winners of the boys' section.
It came after more than 20 teams – from primary schools in and around Govan – faced off at the Ibrox Community Complex on June 4.
St Saviour's Primary School's winning team (Image: Newsquest Staff)
The winning teams were then presented with medals and trophies at Edmiston House before celebrating on an open-top bus as part of the Govan Fair parade.
The Glasgow Times was invited to chat with players from each team to find out how they were feeling.
Left to right: Thomas Rouse and Stephen Barrie (Image: Newsquest Staff)
Thomas Rouse, 11, revealed how the St Saviour's team had trained for the tournament.
He said: 'We did lots of training and put in lots of dedication. I've been playing football for nearly my whole life.
'I am absolutely buzzing, and our friends said they were proud of us.'
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Meanwhile, Stephen Barrie explained how he felt as his team lifted the trophy at Edmiston House.
The 12-year-old added: 'I've been playing football since I was one year old and this was brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
'We did lots of exercise and lots of running about to get fit.'
The youngsters lifted the trophy high in the air (Image: Newsquest Staff)
Lynne Neilson, principal teacher at St Saviour's, told of her joy as this was the first time in 'almost a decade' that the school had taken the trophy home.
She commented: 'I'm feeling fantastic. We've been training the team, and it's been about nine years since we've won, so the boys are absolutely buzzing.
'The fact that it's a Govan school that has won the boys' tournament is a big deal for us, everyone's delighted.'
Ahead of the bus starting to follow the parade route – leaving from Fairley Street and finishing on Arklet Road – members of Craigton PS's winning team expressed their excitement.
(Image: Newsquest Staff)
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Left to right: Emily Penrice, Kayla Abraham, and Hala Al Bweidane (Image: Newsquest Staff)
Hala Al Bweidane, 11, explained she was feeling proud.
She said: 'I've been playing football for about a year now and competed in the Cup last year. We won in another tournament, and we learned so much from that.
'I am really proud of myself.'
Kayla Abraham, 12, added that the team had lots of fun on the day.
She added: 'I got a late notice to take part, and I knew I wanted to go. I've been playing football my whole life.
'I am very excited to be on the open-top bus, it's brilliant.'
(Image: Govan Youth Information Project) (Image: Govan Youth Information Project) (Image: Govan Youth Information Project)
Emily Penrice told of how she has not been playing the sport for long but was excited to be a part of the winning team.
She commented: 'I'm just happy to be here. I haven't been playing for that long. We're excited and happy.'
The Govan Fair Cup was taken over by the Govan Youth Information Project (GYIP) four years ago.
At that time, the group had promised to make the event 'better' each year.
(Image: Govan Youth Information Project) (Image: Govan Youth Information Project) (Image: Govan Youth Information Project)
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John Aitken, project worker at GYIP, highlighted the importance of the tournament and how he believes it truly showcases 'what Govan is known for'.
GYIP members Ethan, Kelsi, Arran, Ryan, Josh, and John alongside Dougie from Glasgow Life (Image: Newsquest Staff)
He stated: 'I feel really good because we've kept our promise that when we took it over, we would make it better each year.
'I think we've done that by adding extra schools, the live cup draw and presentation at Edmiston House.
'I think the full GYIP team deserve a pat on the back. The youngsters might have never had an event like this unless they went to professional football.
'Even taking part in a big football tournament like that, not all kids like organised football, so doing that with their school can be pretty special to them.
'It's really just about them having fun and gaining new experiences. It's about the wider community getting together and pulling together, which is what Govan is known for.'
(Image: Govan Youth Information Project) (Image: Govan Youth Information Project)