This year's Mayor's Cup final was staged at the biggest venue in the borough primary schools' football tournament's 42-year history – Queens Park Rangers' stadium in White City.
The boys' competition saw Larmenier & Sacred Heart defeat holders West London Free School, cheered on by dozens of supporters in the stands. The finals of the girls' trophy will be played in the summer.
Larmenier captain Jackson Maloney accepted the boys' cup from H&F school games organiser Calum Fairley in beautiful sunshine on Tuesday afternoon (20 May).
Although the original trophy only stays in the Brook Green school for a year, an additional gleaming cup was presented which the school can keep forever.
The school's goalscoring hero Jacob Lopera, 10, was declared Player of the Tournament, and was given silverware of his own, while each member of the winning squad received medals.
Biggest tournament in London
The event, the biggest primary schools' tournament in London, originally set up to encourage wider participation in sport, saw 30 schools contest early rounds last autumn in Ravenscourt and Hurlingham parks, with Larmenier making a slow start in a goalless draw against Holy Cross.
Both teams picked up the pace, however, reaching this week's all-action finals day encompassing quarters, semis and the final itself in quick succession at Rangers' MATRADE Loftus Road stadium.
Also in the quarter-finals were Queen's Manor, St John's, St Mary's, John Betts, Wormholt Park and West London Free. "I've played on that pitch, and scored," a select group of grandparents will be able to tell wide-eyed grandkids in 2085!
Before playing their eight-a-side, 20-minute matches, the teams ran out of the QPR players' tunnel to the Champions League anthem, with the stadium announcer reading out each competitor's name over the loudspeakers.
Wormholt Park achieved a 1-0 win over John Betts to reach the semis, although the breakthrough didn't come until two minutes from time when a penalty saw K'shon Ramsey-Hunte fire home from the spot.
West London Free beat St Mary's by the same margin, before Larmenier crushed Queen's Manor 6-0, with Theo Michaels, Jackson Maloney, Matteo Pasin and Lopera sharing the goals.
In the last quarter-final, Holy Cross defeated St John's 2-0, with Arastoo Salamati scoring early in the second half to double Miller Grabowski's opening goal. Yet the hero of the game was St John's goalie Flynn Skinner, 10, whose acrobatic saves kept the scoreline respectable. A Fulham fan, he made two superb diving stops in the second half.
Semi-finals
Wormholt met Larmenier in the first semi, with Michaels again on the scoresheet for Larmenier in the seventh minute, forcing a shot home from a tight angle on the right for the only goal.
In the second semi, West London Free defeated Holy Cross 2-0 thanks to goals from 11-year-old captain and Chelsea fan Finlay McGriskin just before the break, and again shortly before the final whistle.
Finals
That set up the final between West London Free, coached by Nathan Joseph, and Larmenier, coached by Cathal O'Connor. Ref Kasey Davenport – from QPR's college – blew to start the game, and Larmenier caught West London cold as a persistent Lopera slotted in a shock opener in 16 seconds.
Larmenier repelled wave after wave of West London attacks, with keeper Alfie Daniels having to be on top form, before Lopera notched another at the start of the second half following an excellent display of fast footwork and holding play. His Player of the Tournament title was well deserved.
An Arsenal fan, whose favourite player is superstar Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal, he admitted: "Yes, I really want to be a footballer when I grow up."
Coach O'Connor, who has built up a special bond with every player in the Larmenier & Sacred Heart team having supervised them for six years, said:
I'm over the moon with the win. This is my final game with them as they're all moving on to other schools, and I love every one of them."
He reckons this year's Mayor's Cup finalists are the two best primary school teams in England.
Nathan Joseph of West London Free was gracious in defeat. "We lost fair and square, and while I'm sad to lose we went toe-to-toe with them in the final," he said.
Playoffs
The 3rd/4th play-off match couldn't separate Wormholt and Holy Cross. Even the penalty shoot-out finished even, after a 2-2 draw in normal time, so an honourable sharing of 3rd place was declared.
Calum Fairley, who said he was "chuffed" to be staging the boys' final in a proper football stadium for the first time, heaped praise on QPR's college students who helped officiate, referee, marshal the players and parents and make the day run smoothly.
Milo Tingey, the Hoops' school sport co-ordinator, and Eddy Igilima, school sport officer, were among the key officials from the club.
Who played?
The schools competing in this season's tournament were:
Kenmont, Ark White City, Miles Coverdale, St Mary's, St Stephen's, Old Oak, Wormholt Park, Good Shepherd, Brackenbury, Greenside, John Betts, West London Free, St John XXlll, St Peter's, Wendell Park, Earls Court Free, Sir John Lillie, Sulivan, Normand Croft, St John's, St Augustine's, Queen's Manor, Langford, All Saints, Fulham Bilingual, Holy Cross, Larmenier & Sacred Heart, Melcombe, St Paul's and St Thomas of Canterbury.
