An amateur five-a-side team celebrated their recent tournament success with an open-top bus parade through the streets of central London on Saturday, much to the surprise of thousands of onlookers.
Slough Scorpionz were crowned champions of the inaugural Ladbrokes Players Cup, a nationwide five-a-side tournament, earlier this month, in which they pocketed a £20,000 cash prize – a record-breaking amount at Powerleague.
To celebrate their victory, Scorpionz went all out with an open-top bus parade through the streets of London, passing by iconic attractions including Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus.
With their winner’s trophy on display and a party atmosphere in full swing, the team were cheered on by thousands of surprised – and somewhat confused – onlookers as they made their way through the city centre.
Slough Scorpionz won £20,000 at the Ladbrokes Players Cup after seeing off the 16-team strong field of regional winners from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, defeating Barrowfield Bruisers in the final.
Scorpionz then went on to play former Invincibles Lauren and Jérémie Aliadière, two-time Premier League winner William Gallas, and former Premier League players Paddy Kenny and Clinton Morrison in a ‘Boss Level’ game for the chance to win an extra £8,000 (£500 for every team), which also featured Love Island star, Nas Majeed, and freestyler, Olivia Weedall.
The ‘Boss Level’ match finished 6-3 to Scorpionz, while Clinton Morrison was sensationally sent to the sin-bin for a ‘headbutt’ on the referee.
Slough Scorpionz club captain Hasan Hussain said “The whole tournament has been a surreal experience for the entire team, from playing and beating Premier League legends to having people in the streets of London congratulate us and cheer us on. It’s one of the best we’ve ever played in, and now it’s time for us to retain our title as the Ladbrokes Players Cup Champions for 2024!”
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “Move over Jack Grealish… Slough Scorpionz are in town! We thought a high-quality tournament deserved a high-quality celebration, and after proving they can mix it with the best with a convincing win against a handful of Invincibles, Premier League legends and freestyle stars, it was only right for the team to be treated like true champions.”
The Ladbrokes Players Cup will be returning for 2024, providing an opportunity for five-a-side teams across the UK to be crowned the best in the country and win a huge prize jackpot. Details on how to enter the tournament will be published closer to the time.
