There was an air of determination as the staff and students of Royal Wootton Bassett Academy warmed up for their final friendly event of the year watched by a crowd of keen supporters.
Both teams started confidently and didn’t hold back when tackling; Year 12 students, playing in orange bibs, gave as good as they got and were determined to match the staff with every touch of the ball.
The atmosphere changed towards the end of the first half when cheers rang out as Michael Leslie scored the first goal of the match for the Staff, giving them a much-needed lead going into the second half.
Undeterred, Student Team Coach, Charlie Lockley was full of encouragement for his team at the half time break. It paid off two minutes into the second half with a fantastic volley from Sam Hulbert who wasted no time in celebrating with his teammates much to the delight of their supporters.
From then on, the game was fairly evenly fought and although both teams continued to fight for the ball, the final score remained 1:1.
Sixth Form Support Manager Hilary Stubbs was keen to emphasize that, “We didn’t want these matches to become too competitive so there is no prize, accept maybe their pride!” She continued, “They are a great way for students and staff to get together in a non-academic way which really helps build relationships in sixth form.”
It was agreed, everyone played well and enjoyed the atmosphere of the lovely summer evening. September will bring a new year of challenges, and there will definitely be calls for a re-match.
If you would like to learn more about Royal Wootton Bassett Sixth Form and what it has to offer, you can visit the website or the school will be holding their annual Open Evening for Year 11 students on 12 October 2022.
