While Euro 2024 reaches its exciting climax in Berlin on Sunday, July 14, a different football tournament will be getting underway in Worcestershire.

The Droitwich Summer League is set to return after a successful inaugural season in 2023 with a new format, new teams and a new partnership with a Worcestershire charity.

The tournament will expand from six teams to eight. Every team will play each other in the league phase, with the team at the top of the table earning themselves the Droitwich Summer League trophy.

From here, the league will split into two play-offs, with the bottom four sides competing in the new EXCIDIUM Cup competition, while the top four will fight it out for the HB9 trophy, named in honour of the tournament's sponsors, the Harry Bennett foundation.

Ryan Carrington, the event's promoter, explained why the tournament decided to partner with the Harry Bennett Foundation: "They do a lot of work to help people and are a really great organisation."

The foundation has done charity work since 2020, including providing pre-owned football boots to kids for a reasonable price, and providing kit for Asylum Seekers housed in Bromsgrove to play football. 

Worcester and District Football League side Mud FC return as defending champions, having won both the league phase and the play-off last year. They will be joined by three new sides from across the county.

Ryan encouraged locals to come along and watch, with matches kicking off on Wednesdays at 7pm and Sundays at 10am and 12pm at the Droitwich Leisure Centre.