Annual Berkhamsted charity football match smashes £10,000 goal in last ever game

An annual charity football match in Berkhamsted started by Jack Dobby and his family has smashed its £10,000 goal after it finished ten years of fundraising last weekend.

Jack and his family had raised around £9,100 through the matches and events for a range of different charities over the last decade.

Charities like Bobby Moore Fund, The Willen Hospice, Hectors House and Rebuild Nepal have benefited from the matches.

On Saturday (July 30), £1,700 was raised for Brain Research UK.

Before kick-off, there was a minute of applause for Jack’s friend and fellow player and teammate Nick Fox, who died in a car crash earlier this year. The match was dedicated to Nick.

Organiser Jack Dobby explained that it was a very close match.

He said: “The game was the tightest ever contest in all the ten years we've played. It finished at 2-2 and then went straight to penalties.”

Jack added: “It was then where the team in white kits, won 3-2 on penalties.”

The annual matches were created by the family for Jack’s uncle Steve, who had lung cancer in 2012.

The final match, which was played by both men and women this year, was held on what would have been Steve’s 75th birthday.

Jack and his partner, Helena, will continue to raise money when they take part in the London Marathon this October this year.

People can donate to Jack’s marathon fundraising page here.