Coronavirus: NHS to receive Cottenham football team fines

Manager Chris Hancock (front, third from left) said the team readily agreed to forsake their annual party

A football team is donating all the money raised from fining players to the NHS to support staff in the fight against coronavirus.

Cottenham United FC's players have been fined £719 this season for misdemeanours such as missing training or having too many new haircuts.

The money would usually be spent on a party for the Cambridgeshire players.

However, this year the team decided to give the money to a charity supporting Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

"I suggested to the lads that instead of a knees-up at the end of the season, we give the money to Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust," first-team manager Chris Hancock said.

"All the lads agreed the hospital can use the money much better than we can."

He said the £719 fines pot was "quite a decent amount" but insisted it was "not because they're bad lads, they're just very honest".

Penalties range from 50p to £5 and most of the time the players themselves decide who should be fined, how much and for what.

"Quite often if you have a shiny new pair of boots it's a good opportunity for a mickey-take," said Mr Hancock.

"And a fresh haircut is another good one, some of the lads seem to turn up with one almost every week."

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The Cambridgeshire County League team played their last match at the end of February.

Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust is currently running an appeal raising money for "vital equipment to support the Intensive Care Unit" and the "wellbeing of staff".

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