Mission debrief by 007GB Team Captain, Ciaran Brown
On 8th June 2025, a day forever etched in the annals of Bondian lore, six factions from the world of 007 fandom answered the call to action – not with martinis or gadgets, but with shin pads and football shirts. The mission? A five-a-side charity clash of volcanic proportions! The venue? Classified… well, sort of. Watford Powerleague, to be precise – less Spectre’s desert lair, more slightly uneven Astroturf!
Summoned by Warren Ringham – the musical maestro of ‘Q the Music’ – this was no ordinary kickabout. This was a duel for 007 glory, fundraising and, for me, some post-match hobbling!
I had the distinction of captaining the noble crew of ‘007GB’. Our first showdown? ‘Shaken Not Stirred’. The whistle blew and we were off – like tuxedoed gladiators in search of golden goals, as opposed to golden guns!
By the seventh minute, fate smiled upon me. I claimed my first full possession. Alas, triumph was fleeting. A tragic twist of fate (and the ankle) echoed across the pitch like a thunderclap. Crack! My Bond moment turned Bourne, as my ankle went over. I soldiered on in true MI6 spirit. Mission: injured, but still active.
The games marched on and ‘007GB’ snatched a couple of victories in the process, with me captaining from the side-lines. When the group stages concluded, tension gripped the arena like Oddjob crushing a golf ball. We narrowly missed a semi-final berth – two points shy of ‘Really, 007!’. We could hold our heads high.
The semis were edge-of-your-seat thrillers. ‘Really, 007!’ displayed the grit of Daniel Craig, while ‘Q the Music’ glided through their matches with Roger Moore-like smoothness. In their final clash, these two giants collided. One was weary, but defiant. The other, slicker than the DB5 spraying its oil!
The final whistle blew. The question: would football be shaken or stirred on its journey home? Despite valiant efforts from ‘Really, 007!’, it was ‘Q the Music’ who struck the final chord and who were crowned the champions of the turf. And the cherry on top of this beautifully chaotic football trifle? A whopping £1,345 raised for Macmillan Cancer Support. Mission: Success.
It was an honour to play – albeit briefly – in such an event. Hats off to ‘Q the Music’, ‘Really, 007!’ and every squad that made the day a Bond-worthy spectacle. In the end, we all walked away as winners …with sore legs, full hearts and a serious craving for an ice pack!
Well done, guys!
Last modified: 13 January 2026
