Some 36 teams took part in this year’s Adam Redfern Memorial Football Tournament at Beaumont Park at the weekend. DMU Journalism student Matt Saunders reports.
The Adam Redfern Memorial Fund has raised £2,000 from this year’s football tournament at Beaumont Park on Saturday.
The annual tournament in Leicester is dedicated to De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) graduate and member of the communications team Adam Redfern, who passed away in 2021 aged just 28 after suffering a cardiac arrest while out jogging.
His parents, Christine and Ian Redfern, set up the fund to spread awareness of cardiac risks in young adults as well as to support media and sports students at DMU.
The tournament started in 2021 after DMU alumni and sports clubs across Leicestershire and Derbyshire approached Ian and Christine about holding a football tournament to celebrate Adam’s life.
“We never expected to see the tournament grow so quickly,” said Ian, who organises the tournament each year with his wife Christine. “We hope that Adam would be proud of us. The motivation is to keep Adam’s memory alive and ensure others can benefit from his legacy.”
Winners of this year's tournament, Futsal A
DMU also sent several teams to compete, including members from the Students’ Union and from Demon Media, of which Adam was formerly the editor of the Demon magazine and also hosted a radio show on Demon FM.
Demon Media's team
The 2024 tournament hosted 36 teams from across the East Midlands, with Leicester City in the Community winning the Community Cup, beating Sands United in the final.
“I’d like to thank our sponsors, referees and volunteers, as well as everyone who came along to play, or watch,” Ian added. “We estimate that, with spectators, there were approaching 350 people there.”
He pledged the Adam Redfern Memorial Tournament will be back for 2025, with both Christine and Ian wanting to make it “even better”.
Winners of the Community Cup, Leicester City in the Community
Posted on Tuesday 4 June 2024