Abbey Primary Finally Lifts the Sean Lynk Trophy - A Win with History.

Last month, we hosted our annual KS1 Sean Lynk Trophy Memorial tournament at the RH Academy. This year’s champions were Abbey Primary School, lifting the trophy after a run of games in the final. While it was a long-awaited win for Abbey, it had been an even longer time coming for Mr Blackwell.

Mr Blackwell has been bringing teams to our tournaments for over a decade, back to the days when we held smaller competitions at the stadium, when it was still called Field Mill. At that time, our tournaments were much smaller, with just eight teams taking part across the whole day. Now, as the event has grown, we hit that number in a single group stage. So, after all these years of near misses and last-match losses, this win meant a lot, not just for the school, but for Mr Blackwell too.

We recently took a visit to Abbey Primary to present the engraved trophy to Mr Blackwell and hear his thoughts on the winning day. “It actually came as a bit of a shock,” he said. “We lost our first game, so we were a bit unsure how things would go.” He mentioned that they hadn’t played at their best, but out of all the teams, they were the ones who came out on top on the day. “I’ve always been the same,” he added. “For me, I like to step back, and for it to about the lads and those who are playing, so it was just happiness to have that moment and celebrate on the pitch, but also a little bit of relief for myself,” he laughed.

We asked whether the win had had an impact on the school and what the other students at Abbey thought. “The rest have absolutely loved it,” he said, “and some of the older players who’ve taken part before have loved seeing them finally win it.”  Football is clearly big at Abbey Primary, across all year groups, from boys to girls. The participation numbers are high, and it doesn’t take much encouragement to get them involved.

When asked what keeps him bringing teams to our competitions, Mr Blackwell explained, “I think for me, the enjoyment our players have had through the years, it’s why I love engaging with Stags, it’s a great setup and the opportunities that they offer... Playing at the RH Academy, we absolutely love the games down there. What’s nice is the consistency across competitions and knowing what to expect, so we can prep the young players beforehand and have a good time.”

To finish, we asked Mr Blackwell about his personal highlight of the day, his answer was clear: “In the final game, a very strong player for us really stepped up in his performance and though they're only year one/year two, I gave him quite an advanced tactical play to carry out to try and cancel out the other teams strongest player, and he delivered and executed it to perfection. This other player never had a shot on goal, never had a chance, and he just executed that plan brilliantly, which enabled our team to win the ball back, and that role he played in that last game was pivotal in winning it for us. For me, it was that little moment, and the way they all played was fantastic.” He added that the moment stood out not just because of the tactic, but because of the teamwork behind it. He only knew about the strong opposing player through communication with his team. He trusted their advice, taking it into account and implementing that tactic in the final game, helping them win the trophy, and that long-deserved win for Mr Blackwell.

We’d like to say a big congratulations again to Abbey Primary for their win, and thank all the schools, parents, and guardians who make these competitions what they are. In particular, the Sean Lynk Trophy holds a special place here at Mansfield Town Community Trust. Named in memory of Sean Lynk - a friend and former colleague - it stands as a reminder of the passion behind football and the powerful impact it can have on young lives. That's why wins like these are special - not just for the trophy, but for the lasting impact they leave on both young players and the people behind them.