My phone began to vibrate before Fajr. It was Maulana Akmal, the Imam of Masjid Al Aqsa on Windsor road. He had called to confirm the name of his team that had been entered for this year’s Inter-Mosque Tournament. “My team will be called ‘Small Giants,’ you’ll realise why, when you see them!” he said eloquently, I’ve always admired the way he delivers his talks. I’m sure that those who have heard him will join me in my admiration. The name made me laugh, even though I was half a sleep. I looked forward to figuring out why they were named as such.

I got a little worried after the Fajr prayer as the first drops of rain began to fall. I went to sleep, hoping that the rain would not stop the teams from turning up. One thing was for sure, I thought, the rain wouldn’t be stopping the organisers from turning up.

It’s always good to be positive. This was something I had learned from Iqbal, one of the organisers of the event. A week ago, we were concerned about the number of burgers that should be ordered. What if people didn’t turn up? We didn’t want to waste the food! “Don’t worry, I’ll eat them all!” Iqbal told me reassuringly, he would probably be able to do it I thought, watching him rub his hands in excitement.

I was shocked when I received a call from Maulana Siddique, the fact that he had turned up before time, which barely happens. He’s a person who is busy every minute of the day and every day of the year. He mentioned that most of the teams were already here. The shock gradually became a source of happiness. We then agreed that the teams should be advised to warm up as we got things ready.

The next hour was hectic. The Security personnel did not turn up on time. As a result, we were unable to set up the PA system. We were receiving complaints that some of the players were over age and some were not even affiliated with any of the Mosques and Islamic centres that they had come to represent. It was obvious that we would have to make some sensitive decisions, even if it would disappoint a few individuals who were actually breaking the rules.

By half-eleven, the tournament was up and running. A crowd had gathered to watch the games. The smell of burgers being grilled was attracting a larger crowd of spectators than the tournament itself. Our banner was something that couldn’t be missed. A young man could be heard chanting “Chana Chur! Chana Chur!” he was selling Paan leaves with Betel nut and the Bangladeshi version of Bombay Mix. Some youngsters had a stall selling refreshments along with the OIYC CDs.

A passer-by would agree that despite the strong competition that had now emerged, there was also a strong sense of unity that was evident. It was clearly visible in the expressions of the participants. The young children, adults, volunteers, vendors, spectators and officials were all enjoying themselves. In short, the Inter–Mosque Tournament was proving to be an effective tool in bridging the gap between our communities.

Some of your good selves may be thinking that this so called ‘report’ is beginning to take the shape of a best selling novel, some may be getting bored. It may be a good idea at this point, to make an attempt to complete the rest of this article in the form of a report.

A total of ten teams turned up on the day. Teams from Coppice, Coldhurst, Chadderton, Glodwick and of course Westwood were all determined to go home with this year’s title. It was quite funny really, to see Imams and Madrasa Teachers cheering in support of their teams.

The time had come for the moment that everyone had been waiting for. The semi-finals were over and the pressure was growing for the finalists, but everyone was looking forward to a match other than the final. Noor Islam, the brains behind the tournament, made an extra loud announcement on the PA system. “It is time now for today’s special feature match. The Maulanas will be showing us how to play football!” The announcement was met with a flood of laughter. The excitement was now sky high.

Somehow, Mufti Helal got hold of the microphone and the commentary began. The match was a disaster. The teams were a mixture of the event organisers and volunteers who were all out of shape – Maulana Sami Maulana Saifur, Iqbal, Junayed, Suhel and Co. Juned’s team took the lead. The crowd loved Maulana Siddique, the manager of Real Siddiqeen. His skills weren’t bringing us any goals though.

Something needed to be done. We were running out of time. Maulana Afzal could be seen warming up on the sidelines. Could he turn the tables for us? Maulana Afzal is one of the more athletic members of our team. He’s not bad at badminton, though I couldn’t comment on his football!

What we needed was a ‘Super Sub’ and I think that this Super Sub would take the form of nobody but myself.

The commentator began to scream when he saw me getting ready. He doesn’t have mercy on anyone. The crowd had already been treated by Maulana Afzal’s share of Mufti Helal’s commentary.

We got on together, determined to save the day. But things began to go wrong. For some reason, Maulana Afzal got confused and ended up playing against us. He probably wasn’t feeling so well. As for the Super Sub, he ran for a few minutes and developed a stitch. He wasn’t going anywhere never mind score a goal!
I’ve tried to write in the form of a report, I guess report writing isn’t for me. The feature match came to an end. Junayed’s team had the last laugh. I had realised that I should start playing with them regularly.

Both Glodwick finalists played their best but little could be done to stop Greenhill FC’s attackers. The match ended with a 3-0 win for Greenhill FC.

It was prize giving time. Maulana Siddique mentioned the core aims of the Inter-Mosque Tournament. He mentioned that in the past, we as youngsters did not have tournaments of this nature. We did not have the chance to meet and play with different people from other communities around Oldham. It was made clear that we wish to revolutionise Evening Madrasa Education by promoting the fun side of Islam that was not exposed to us because of cultural complexities.

Mufti Helal stressed on the importance of working hard in school to try achieving our fullest potential. He then passed the microphone to me to say a few words. I felt that both Mufti Helal and Maulana Siddique’s speeches were sufficient.

I decided to take the opportunity to thank Westwood Football Club, the volunteers and organisers and the participants for making the event a success. I also apologised on behalf of the team for any shortcomings.

The winners were encouraged to come back next year and defend their title. Those teams that did not do too well were encouraged to come back next year and try harder.

Mufti Helal began to call out the teams to receive their awards. He also noted that Muslim’s do not clap when they wish to express their appreciation, instead, they shout out the ‘Takbeer.’

The crowd waited in silence with their eyes glued to the Cups and Trophies as they gleamed in the sun.

Real Siddiqeen were summoned to the stage, the officials had agreed that they deserved the Fair Play award. The award for Player of the Tournament was taken by young Adil from Greenhill FC for his outstanding performance.

Mufti Helal then called Glodwick FC to make their way to the front and collect their trophy and medals. The Runners Up award came in the form of a large silver cup with a black marble base. I could tell by the smiles on their faces that they liked it.

Finally the winning team, Greenhill FC were presented with their much deserved trophy. They collected their medals and watched their captain carefully raise the winning trophy not so high into the air. You wouldn’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out whether they were being envied or not.

We asked the captain to say a few words but were met with a negative response. Another team player kindly agreed to speak to the crowd. I remember him reminding everyone that they were the winners, which wasn’t anything new!

The event came to a close as we all put our hands together and made a short dua. We asked Allah to accept our efforts and to allow us to serve His deen.

May this be the beginning of an endless chain of events that are dedicated to uniting our Ummah.

I humbly ask for your moral support and constant duaas. Oldham’s Muslim youth are a much needy community. Join us in this noble cause.


Kamaluddin Khan

30 August 2006