Forever Football 7s – 24th March 2023

Our annual Forever Football 7s Tournament, kindly sponsored by Auto Trader, will take place on Friday 24th March 2023.

Forever Manchester’s annual 7-a-side charity football tournament, held at FC United’s Broadhurst Park in Moston, will see 15 teams competing against each other in the format of three leagues of five teams, followed by semi-finals and final.

After the games have finished, we will host a post-match presentation with refreshments in the function room at FC United.

The cost per team is £200 with all proceeds going to Forever Manchester to fund and support community activity across Greater Manchester. A company may enter up to two teams.

As well as raising money for Forever Manchester, the tournament provides businesses with the opportunity for staff to come together as a team as well as meeting, and networking, with other local businesses.

Since it was first held in 2016, it has helped raise over £21,000 for Forever Manchester .

All 15 places have now been taken.

About the Tournament

Friday 24th March 2023 (6pm-9pm)
FC United of Manchester – 3G Pitch
Broadhurst Park,
310 Lightbowne Road, Moston,
Manchester, M40 0FJ

Click here for a map

The tournament is open for male, female and mixed teams (minimum age of 16). Each team must have a squad of a minimum of seven players.

Download tournament details and rules PDF here >>

• The full-sized floodlit 3G pitch will be divided into three pitches playing across the width of the pitch.
• Each match will last 10 minutes and every team will be guaranteed to play a minimum of four matches.
• Matches will begin at 6pm, so players are encouraged to get to the ground in good time (from 5pm).
• There is free car parking available, as well as access to the changing and shower facilities.
• Spectators can watch from the perimeter of the 3G pitch. Bring your own chairs!
• After the matches have finished the function room at FC United will be open for a post-match presentation and refreshments.

What to wear

We recommend that players in a team all wear the same coloured shirts. Coloured bibs will be provided if there is a clash of colours. Football boots and astroturf trainers are allowed, however metal studs/blades are forbidden. We recommend that all players should wear shin pads.

Match rules

• All matches will be refereed by a qualified referee.
• Each match will last 10 minutes (no half time)
• Rolling substitutions
• Overhead height is allowed
• Score from anywhere
• Players can access all areas of the pitch
• Goalkeepers can kick or throw the ball out
• Goalkeepers can come out of the area but cannot handle outside of the area
• No offside
• Strictly No Slide Tackles – (safety aspect)
• Defenders are to retreat 7 yards at all free kicks
• Keepers can slide/save with feet within the goal area only
• Underarm throw-ins
• After a goal has been scored play will resume from the centre circle
• Free kicks and penalties will be given when fouls or hand-balls are committed
• A red card for violent conduct will mean expulsion from the tournament for the player
• The referee’s decision is final.
• Three points will be awarded for a win and one point for a draw.

On each pitch the Group’s Fixtures and Results from each match will be recorded and displayed.

The team with the most points in each league will progress through to the Semi-Finals. If points are tied at the top then it will go down to the best head-to-head result. If this is inconclusive then goal difference will decide, if that is the same then it is most goals scored. If this is still inconclusive, a penalty shoot-out (5 pens each) will take place between the two teams.

The team who finishes the best runner-up in terms of points will also progress to the Semi-Final. Likewise if the runners-up have equal points, then goal difference then goals scored will determine the best runner-up.

Group Stages

Tournament Sponsor – Auto Trader

We would like to say a huge thank you to Auto Trader for kindly sponsoring the Football 7s Tournament, helping to cover the costs of tournament ensuring that all money received from the teams taking part goes to support community activity across Greater Manchester.

Helen Robinson , Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement Manager at Auto Trader, said “At Auto Trader we believe that sports play a vital role in the community by giving a chance for people to socialise and build strong relationships as well as encouraging a more active lifestyle.“

With headquarters in central Manchester, Auto Trader Group plc is the UK and Ireland’s largest digital automotive marketplace. Auto Trader sits at the heart of the UK’s vehicle buying process and its primary activity is to help vehicle retailers compete effectively on the marketplace in order to sell more vehicles, faster.

Date added: 24th November 2022
Last updated: 20th March 2023