MatchFit's superstar Account Manager, Tom Symons, firmly believes that “the magic of the FA Cup” is alive and kicking. Here's an overview of what he got up to with the FA team this season:
We've spent the entirety of the 2024/25 FA Cup season tracking every single goal across both the men’s and women’s competitions, as far back as August when non-league sides kicked off the extra preliminary rounds.
No easy task it must be said, with early rounds often tracked via regional club X accounts, feeding into a beast of a centralised spreadsheet. As the goals in the famous old competition kept flying in, our goal was to keep a close eye on the media-worthy narratives playing out.
The hope was that the eventual winners of this year’s Golden Ball Awards in partnership with Mitre, awarded to the most prolific goal scorers in each competition, may arise from sections of the football pyramid you wouldn’t necessarily expect.
Step forward Gary Lockyer of Isthmian League South East Division side Ashford United, and Madison Hadley of Preston North End, who play in the North West Women's Regional League. Gary’s 10 goals in six FA Cup ties from August to October were enough to fend off all comers, including the likes of Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland, in the men’s FA Cup.
Meanwhile, Madison bagged 11 times in the women’s FA Cup, with names such as Alessia Russo and Mayra Ramirez nowhere near. Heading into cup final weekend, it was time for us to show our own prolific form. I had the pleasure of facilitating a media day for our men’s winner at Wembley two days before Crystal Palace’s famous win.
We set up conversations with the likes of Mail Online, talkSPORT, and FourFourTwo, while snapping pitch-side shots. Gary posed with his soon-to-be awarded Mitre Golden Ball trophy – glistening against the hallowed Wembley turf – while repping his beloved Ashford United via an official club scarf. For Madison, it was all roads lead to Wembley for the final, where we lined up media interviews with The Women’s Football Podcast, Girlactico and Girls on The Ball.
After media wrapped, Madison headed pitchside where she was presented with her Mitre Golden Ball Trophy by England legend, Hope Powell. Cup final day for Gary consisted of a chat with Dion Dublin live on BBC One’s Football Focus before Glenn Murray presented him with his trophy, while both winners had the incredible honour of walking out the official Mitre match ball in front of a packed out Wembley ahead of the respective finals.
The Golden Ball Award in partnership with Mitre has proven once again that the FA Cup is the competition for the underdog, whether team or individual honours, and at MatchFit we loved playing a part in sharing the magic.
