NEWS Pete admits: “We were unsure what


reaction we would get when we launched the ESFL. Luckily, it has taken off in a way that we could never have imagined and we were inundated with applications to join from all over England and Wales.” The buzz around the unique event has


already caught the imagination of media broadcasters, with Sky Sports, BBC Sports and many other media outlets covering the ESFL launch plans. Fully affiliated with the Football


DC Pete Overton DC Andy Smurthwaite ‘We’ll be competitive like the


Champions League’ While the so-called ‘big six’ of English football threatened to tear apart the sport with their own breakaway league, two West Yorkshire detectives have a more collaborative approach. DCs Pete Overton and Andy


Smurthwaite have launched an Emergency Services Football League (ESFL) which will see almost 70 teams nationwide from the NHS, police, fire service, military and prison services compete in a bid to become the best in the country.


The tournament, which kicks off in


August in a 10-league format, follows a similar structure to football’s Champions League – Europe’s top event in the professional game. Pete, who is based at CID Leeds, got


involved after his pal Andy came up with idea last year when the pandemic struck, and sport took a back seat. They created the league after realising that although there were service-wide football tournaments, there was no inter-services event.


Association, the league features teams ranging from the Isle of Wight, a UK Army squad, RAF, Navy and a load of different teams from policing, the fire services, NHS and prison services. All the players will participate in their own time, with each squad being larger than usual to cope with their players’ work commitments. Pete added: “During these hard times


for the emergency services, it’s also great to establish something which is going reduce stress and improve the welfare and mental health of those playing. Just like the Champions League, it’s also going to be very competitive – especially when we get to the knock-out stages in January 2022.” Andy and Peter are planning a women’s league and have already had considerable interest from several women’s teams. For more information visit


www.esfl.co.uk


Officers getting on their bikes for a good cause


Following the murder of Thames Valley PC Andrew Harper in 2019, Metropolitan Police officer Colin Nye hatched the idea of raising money for Care of Police Survivors (COPS) by doing a London2Paris charity bike ride. Sadly, lockdown put paid to the


event – but the level of interest inspired Colin to get together with others to launch the Blue Light Cycling Club, which has more than 260 members already from across the emergency services family. Colin said: “Cycling is a chance to


32 I POLICE I JUNE 2021


get out in the fresh air, get healthy, and it allows me to reflect. There’s also a social side to it. Everyone has their own challenges and we can help each other overcome them together.” The club’s first event on 4 to 7 June will be a cycle ride to replace the original London 2 Paris run and raising money for COPS. They will be joined by Daisy Godfrey, whose father, PC Ian Godfrey, was killed in the line of duty. Participants will pedal from the


National Police Memorial on the Mall through Cambridgeshire, Essex, Surrey


and to the Silverstone racing circuit in Northamptonshire. When they return to the Mall there will be a reflection led by Lady Winner, widow of Sir Michael Winner. Colin is keen to emphasise future


events will be dictated by members’ interests, location and ability levels. “We didn’t want to make a cycling club just for ourselves. We wanted it to do some good for the communities we’re a part of,” he explains. Find out more about the club at https://www.bluelightcc.co.uk/


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40