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Competition winners Calcot Hawks are presented with a grand cheque, with representatives U16 manager Tim Holloway (on left) and Chairman Wayne Sangwell (on right)

18^th March brought a rousing victory for Calcot Hawks Football Club when they became the winners of HugoFox.com’s sports sponsorship competition, powering ahead of 22  other teams to win a grand total of £1300.

Kicked off by HugoFox.com in February, the competition  involved 23 local sports teams who had already received equal sponsorship from HugoFox.com, pitting them against one another in a race to take home an additional £1000 jackpot. The teams gained points by encouraging people to post on the local listings site, with users able to select which team to support when they made their post.

After an impressive effort from all of the clubs, Calcot Hawks FC  emerged victorious on the closing date of 18^th March, having racked up a mighty final total of 15,095 points. The other teams do not go away empty-handed, however, as each team’s collected points are translated into a proportionate amount of sponsorship money. Many of the clubs have thus earned themselves a substantial cash bonus, but throughout the competition three teams really stood out, including Andover Hockey Club and the Rustington Otters. Nevertheless, Calcot Hawks FC dominated play from the get-go, refusing to surrender its lead. Due to the efforts of its members and supporters, the club comes away with a fantastic total of £1301.90 Now that’s teamwork!

“It was a very pleasant surprise to find out we had won the competition,” club founder and coach Wayne Sangwell tells HugoFox News. “We have five teams within Calcot Hawks FC and I think everyone played their part. We all asked everyone we knew to register and post on HugoFox.com – from Glasgow to Dover, relatives, friends and business contacts were all asked.”

As Wayne comments, £1301.90 is a lot of money to a small grass-roots club. He tells HugoFox News that the Hawks already have great plans for how to put the extra sponsorship to use. “What will we do with it? The Under 16′s team, who will be going into Adults football next season, will need new kits and tracksuits, so this will probably be the main priority. The remaining money will be put towards the cost of our coaching courses. We are a Charter Standard club and all coaches must be of at least FA Level 1 and hold a first aid certificate. The extra money will help us to continue to be Charter Standard and allow us to better our coaching at Calcot Hawks.”

Wayne started Calcot Hawks FC in June 2002, at which time the club consisted of five boys who made up the sole team. The Hawks have come a long way since then. Instead of five boys, the club now has five complete teams – and with players not only from Calcot itself, but also from Reading, Tilehurst, Whitley, and the surrounding areas, Calcot Hawks has grown into a thriving club that continues to go from strength to strength.

But for local sports clubs, Wayne remarks, sponsorship is often difficult to find. “HugoFox really does need to be thanked so much,” he says, “as in the current economic climate it is so hard for small clubs to get any money from sponsorship. For HugoFox.com to run a competition of this sort really shows that they are committed to the local community.”

The teams at Calcot Hawks are currently training hard for next season. HugoFox.com wishes them the very best of luck – and the joy of their well-earned sponsorship!