The annual event attracted 13 teams featuring players aged from 18 to 60, representing today's student squads alongside alumni groups from the 2020s, 2010s, 2000s, 1990s and even the 1980s. A unique handicap system, allowing older teams additional players, ensured a competitive tournament that embodied the values that have defined Loughborough Football for generations.
Played on the Holywell Astro pitches from 11am to 3pm, the day continued in the Stadium Bar, where participants watched the FA Cup Final and reflected on more than a century of footballing heritage through a presentation covering the club's first 100 years, from 1919/20 to 2019/20.
Tim Crane (Mathematics with Economics BSc, 1992) leads the annual event. He said:
“The event raised over £2,000 for UK Blood Cancers, The Willow Foundation, Mind, and The Daniel Wilkinson Foundation. The group has raised in the region of £60,000 since 2001.”
This year's edition also highlighted the remarkable impact Loughborough graduates continue to have throughout football. Among those attending were alumni who have worked with the Football Association, including Paul McGuinness, Tom Curtis and Tony Strudwick, as well as professionals who have contributed to recent successes across the game. Chris Jones was part of the staff helping Coventry City secure promotion to the Premier League, George Wilson has been involved in AFC Fylde's rise to the National League, while Rob Matthews celebrated promotions achieved by former clubs Hull City and Notts County.
Tournament history: The first half (2001-2010)
The story of the tournament began in 2001 following the tragic death of former Loughborough First XI player Eddie Gregg, who died from leukaemia.
Determined to honour their friend, club alumni lead Ross Emery (Geography BSc, 2000), supported by coach Darren Robinson, lead member James Ellis (Geography BSc, 1999; Management MSc, 2000), and with the blessing of Eddie's parents, Alan and Sonya Gregg, established a memorial five-a-side competition. Its purpose was simple: remember Eddie, celebrate his life and raise money for leukaemia research.
What started as a tribute quickly became a fixture in the Loughborough Football calendar, bringing together former teammates and current players every year.
The event attracted a remarkable array of football figures. Former professional players including Tom Curtis (Chesterfield, Notts County); Lee Howarth (Peterborough, Barnet, Mansfield); Rob Matthews (Hull, Stockport, Notts County, Luton); and Paul McGuinness (Crewe, Chester, Manchester United) took part, alongside individuals who would go on to influential roles in elite sport and performance science. Names such as Tony Strudwick (Manchester United, Blackburn, West Bromwich Albion, the FA); Chris Jones (Coventry, Chelsea); Mark Hulse (Newcastle, Manchester United, Everton); Rich Hawkins (Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion), Danny Micciche (MK Dons, Tottenham); Sam Erith (Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United) and Darren Robinson (Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Hull) all featured during the tournament's formative years.
The organisers have always insisted the event's greatest strength lies not in professional football achievements but in the diversity of careers represented by returning alumni. Former players working across business, education, healthcare, sport and countless other sectors have continued to make the trip back to Loughborough each May.
The first decade saw fundraising extended beyond football through a charity bike ride organised by the then coach Tom Curtis and Eddie's former teammates.
By 2010, the football community had suffered another loss with the death of former Loughborough coach Mike Holliday.
Ross Emery and fellow organiser Tim Crane expanded the event's commemorative purpose, ensuring Mike’s contribution was remembered alongside Eddie Gregg's. The tournament also began supporting the Willow Foundation, a charity co-founded by Arsenal and Scotland goalkeeper, alum Bob Wilson OBE (Physical Education DLC, 1963).
Tournament history: The second half (2011-2020)
Sadly, the 2010s brought further loss, with the deaths of Matty Pinnock, Mike Hughes and Daniel Wilkinson. In response, and with Alan and Sonya Gregg’s blessing, the event broadened its remit and was renamed the Loughborough Football Memorial Tournament, reflecting its role in remembering all members of the football family who had passed away too soon.
The fundraising effort expanded to include support for Mind and The Daniel Wilkinson Foundation, ensuring the tournament continued to respond to the needs of the football community and its affected teammates.
Tournament history: Extra time (2021-2026)
Like most sporting events, the tournament paused during the Covid-19 pandemic, with a virtual quiz replacing the traditional gathering in 2020.
Since returning, however, it has experienced unprecedented growth.
Women's teams have participated, fathers have played alongside sons and daughters, and families spanning two generations have taken to the pitch together. Current student involvement has increased significantly, while alumni attendance remains robust.
The 2026 tournament achieved the highest participation figures in its history. As ever, Alan and Sonya Gregg were present, while Eddie Gregg's former teammates once again played a central role in ensuring the 25th anniversary event was a memorable occasion.
Special recognition was also given to the 89ers, the largest alumni group in attendance, who have supported the tournament continuously since 2003. The squad is made up primarily of teammates who represented Loughborough between 1986 and 1993 and remains a cornerstone of the event's success.
Twenty-five years after it began, the Loughborough Football Memorial Tournament has evolved far beyond a charity football competition.
It has become an annual reunion, a celebration of footballing heritage, a vehicle for charitable giving and a living demonstration of the bonds formed at Loughborough.
From remembering Eddie Gregg in 2001 to bringing together students, alumni, families and football professionals in 2026, the tournament stands as a powerful reminder that while teams change and generations move on, the spirit of Loughborough Football endures.
