Sport at St. Joseph's

- All the latest PE and School Sport News from St. Joseph's.

- For history, honours and images, please scroll to the bottom of the page.

2021/22 Highlights:

Well done to our Year 5 footballers who made it through to Finals Night at the Birkenhead South Cluster tournament in February.

It was lovely to be back at the Wirral Cross Country meetings after over a year away. Here is the team for 2021/22 at the Birkenhead Park event.

Back to football business for our Year 6 teams in 2021/22. Here are the boys at the Tranmere Rovers 7-a-side tournament. Our boys’ and girls’ teams also played in friendly matches against Oxton St. Saviour’s too.

2020/21 Highlights:

Another school sporting year affected by the Covid lockdowns is completed by two sports days. Unfortunately, we were unable to welcome parents to our Key Stage 1 and 2 events but we hope to get back to normal in 2021/22!

The return of Key Stage 1 Sports Day.

Our Girls’ Football team in local derby action against Woodchurch Road at the Birkenhead South Cluster tournament.

Year 5 at the Wirral School Games Cricket tournament at Oxton Cricket Club.

Still no Wirral Houlihan Cup in this year affected by Covid lockdowns, but we did manage some friendly matches during the summer term.

Despite a delayed start due to the January - March lockdown of 2021, the 32 entrants in the St. Joseph’s Darts Championship ensured that the competition continued into a 13th year. This year saw Nevin Issac victorious in the final.

2019/20 Highlights:

Our final sporting activity before school closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic: our Girls’ Football team in action at the Birkenhead South Cluster Finals, held at BHSA. Little did we know that it would be the final action of 2019/20…

History was made when Evie Harper and Isabella Taylor contested the first, all-female St. Joseph’s Darts Championship Final. In a thrilling final, Evie came out on top, becoming only the second girl to win the trophy in its 12-year history. Well done to both girls.

Our Year 5 football team in Corgi Cup action.

Building up to the 12th annual St. Joseph’s Darts Championship, Year 6 enjoy learning about the rules and history of this great sport, whilst also getting some vital practice in!

Thank you to everybody who donated stickers for the ‘Aldi Kit for Schools’ competition. Our Play Leaders have collected them all in, ready to post!

A welcome return for Freddy Fit, who helps every class in the school to exercise and live healthy lifestyles in the new year!

Year 3&4 at the Birkenhead South Cluster Gymnastics competition.

Our Year 6 Football team aiming to retain the Houlihan Cup.

An impressive start to our sporting year sees Years 4, 5 and 6 compete at the Wirral Cross Country meetings at Birkenhead Park, where Daniel Bojarski beats a field of over 60 competitors to earn 1st place in the Year 4 Boys’ race.

2018/19 Highlights:

Our Year 6 team have completed the massive achievement of retaining the Wirral Schools Houlihan Cup after a 4-0 win over Higher Bebington at Bebington High School. Captain, Luka Rooney was on the scoresheet alongside Luke McDermott who grabbed a hat-trick. This is St. Joseph’s fourth Houlihan Cup in 8 years, following victories in 2011, 2013 and 2018.

Year 5 and 6 at the Wirral School Games Athletics meeting, held at the Bebington Oval.

Year 5 & 6 Cricket tournament, organised Wirral School Games & by Cheshire Cricket Club.

Year 4 Cricket coaching and competition at Oxton Cricket Club.

Our Year 6 footballers - group winners at the Liverpool FC Academy tournament; TRFC Futsal group winners and also still going well in the Houlihan Cup

Year 3 & 4 Cross Country runners, braving the cold weather at Oxton St. Saviour’s!

KS2 performing at the rugby tournament, organised by Birkenhead Park Rugby Club.

Year 5 in Corgi Cup football action.

Luka Rooney is crowned winner of the 2019 St. Joseph’s Darts Championship, defeating Lucas Burley 4-2 in a final which saw both players throw darts of a tremendous standard.

Year 2 Football action in the Birkenhead South Cluster tournament.

Key Stage 1 enjoying some Tennis coaching.

Our Year 5&6 Girls performing at the Birkenhead South Cluster football tournament at Birkenhead High School Academy.

2017/18 Highlights:

A successful year on the football pitch ended with our Year 6 team winning the Wirral Houlihan Cup, beating Prenton Primary 4-1 in the Final. A brace each from Joseph Collins and Daniel Nugent was enough for St. Joseph’s to regain the trophy we last held in 2013. This team, who also won both the Tranmere Rovers and Everton FC tournaments in Year 4, the Corgi Cup in Year 5, plus the Liverpool FC Academy tournament at the start of this year, will surely go down as the most decorated in St. Joseph’s history.

Wembley 2018!

What a year for our Girls’ Football Team! It began with a victory in the Tranmere Rovers tournament which earned the girls the right to represent Tranmere Rovers in the North West championship in Stockport. Our passage was through to the Northern Finals was secured with victories over schools from Chester, Stockport and Macclesfield. On a momentous (and emotional!) day in Bradford, a wonderful Jessica Brady free-kick against Hartlepool was enough to ensure that St. Joseph’s / Tranmere Rovers were Northern Champions and would contest the National Final at Wembley Stadium! Mr Nayland had the honour leading this Tranmere Rovers team out at Wembley three hours before Micky Mellon led the first team out to victory in the National League play-off final. Unfortunately for our girls, a 3-1 defeat to a talented Woking side (Brady on the scoresheet again) meant we didn’t bring the silverware home, but it did not take the shine off what was a momentous year for Girls’ Football at St. Joseph’s.

Year 5 and 6 in Birkenhead South Cross-Country action at Oxton St. Saviour’s.

Our Year 6 Netball team in the Wirral School Games competition at Birkenhead High School Academy.

Kyle McGregor defeats his great pal Joseph Collins 4-2 in the 2018 St. Joseph’s Darts Championship Final.

Year 6 at the Wirral School Games Indoor Athletics meeting at Bebington High School.

2016/17 Highlights:

Our Girls’ Football team in action at Tranmere Rovers Recreation Centre

Aodhan Corr wins the 2017 St. Joseph Darts Championship, beating Aiden Finn in a closely contested final.

Year 5 Tag Rugby tournament winners.

Year 4 at the Oxton Cricket Club coaching day and tournament.

Our Year 5 footballers become the first St. Joseph’s team to win the Wirral Corgi Cup. The Final, held at Liscard Primary School, saw the team produce a terrific performance to beat Our Lady of Pity 3-1.

2015/16 Highlights:

This term saw the Cross Country team in action at Arrowe Park and Bebington Park with Aodhan Corr and Joseph Collins amongst the regular Top 10 finishers in the borough.

In October, Year 6 visited Oaklands Outdoor Education Centre in Wales, where they where challenged in canoeing, rock climbing and gorge walking. The Year 5/6 Girls Football team were in action at the new futsal centre at Tranmere Rovers FC during National Girls Football Week in October too. In a field of seven teams, our girls managed to progress to the 3rd place play-off where we beat local rivals, Woodchurch Road 2-1. Tranmere chairman, Nicola Palios was on hand to congratulate the team and present them with their certificates.

In November, Foundation 2 welcomed Tranmere Rovers Dance coach, Frankie to our school for some sessions in the gym, whilst a team of Year 4s performed in the Birkenhead South cluster Gymnastics Competition, once again held at St. Joseph's.

Spring 2017 promises to be an action-packed term which will, as is now tradition, begin with our Year 6 pupils battling it out to see who will become the 9th winner of the St. Joseph's Darts Championship. As ever, the draw for this will be on the final day of term.

Key Stage 1 and 2 Sports Days:

As we say goodbye to another wonderful year of sport, there was just enough time for our traditional St. Joseph's Sports Days for Key Stages 1 and 2. With Rio 2016 on the horizon, Key Stage 1 introduced an Olympic theme to their day, with all the children looking smart and performing wonderfully in their colour co-ordinated kits. Key Stage 2 continued with their annual track and field morning, followed by team sports in the afternoon. As ever, the children, in their House Groups, competed for the 'Tim Kendall Sports Day Shield' with St. Francis winning it for an unprecedented third year in a row. Well done to all the children and staff who worked so hard to make the Sports Days such enjoyable events.

Year 5 and 6 Sports Days at Bebington High Sports College:

This week saw all of our Year 5 and 6 children attend the Primary Schools Games Festivals held at Bebington High. All pupils were able to participate in various sports against other primary schools from across the Wirral. Two successful days of sport included victories in Cricket, Rugby and Quad Kids Athletics for St. Joseph's.

Inter-form 2016 - Football:

The last Inter-form competition of the year was this week decided with yet another all-Year 6 final between 6B and 6F. On this occasion 6F were the victors, comprehensively beating their rivals 5-1 in a competitive yet very sporting match. The oldest of the Inter-form trophies will now reside in Mrs. Finlay's classroom whilst the watching Year 4 and 5 classes will be hoping that their name will be on the trophy in 2017.

Inter-form 2016 - Cricket:

Congratulations to 6B who have won this year's Inter-form Cricket competition, beating 6F in the final - a repeat of the outcome in the Netball equivalent. The tournament has been held over a fortnight and it would not have been possible without the expert organisation and umpiring of Mrs. Ward and Mr. Evans. Will Mrs. Bertram's class be able to make it a hat-trick in the Inter-form Football next month? Well done everybody!

Birkenhead South Cluster Football Tournament (Year 2):

Congratulations to our Year 2 Football team who won the Birkenhead South Football Tournament for the second year running. St. Joseph's were unbeaten, topping a group including Woodchurch Road and Devonshire Park, to ensure that the cup remains in our ever-growing trophy cabinet. Well done to the boys and also to Mrs Burley, Mrs Summers and Miss Ward who coached and selected the team.

Inter-form 2016 - Netball:

It's that time of year again! SATs are over, the sun is shining (we hope!) and the four Year 5 and 6 classes take part in the annual Inter-form competitions to see who is the best in the school. First up was the Netball tournament which saw some great games and high scores. Congratulations to 6B who won the final, beating their rivals 6F by 3 goals to 2. All the children would also like to thank our parent helper and Netball expert, Mrs. Roberts for all her knowledge and advice throughout the tournament. Well done everybody!

Everton FC Schools Grand Final - Goodison Park:

Quite simply, one of the greatest days in St. Joseph's football history. Our Year 4 team had triumphed at tournament after tournament to book themselves a date at the world-famous Goodison Park to see if they could be crowned as the best Year 4 team on Merseyside. A meeting against South Liverpool's Gilmour Primary School would prove to be a battle that would determine whether this group of players would go down in history. After soaking up the atmosphere of a sun-drenched Goodison, some nerves were understandable amongst the players who kicked off the first half attacking the Gwladys Street End. The tension was soon eased however, as the team raced into a two goal lead through strikes from Joseph Collins and Dominic Nugent. The second half produced more of the same, with Kyle McGregor putting St. Joseph's 3-0 up. Despite a Gilmour consolation, our boys (and girl!) sensed the title in their grasp and McGregor's second, wonderful finish sent manager Mr. Nayland, plus the 50-strong travelling army of Joey's supporters into dreamland. A 4-1 win saw the team lift the cup and secure the title of Everton FC Year 4 Merseyside Champions 2016. All in all, a momentous day and certainly one of the greatest days in St. Joseph's football history.

EFC Merseyside Finals - Finch Farm (Year 4):

Following Year 6's good performance a fortnight ago, St. Joseph's Year 4 team were hoping to go one better here at Finch Farm. Bright sunshine and perfect playing conditions, coupled with the cream of Merseyside's Year 4 squads in attendance, made for a wonderful afternoon of football, with a quite unbelievable conclusion. Having won two out the opening three games, our boys (and girl) needed a win against the top team who only needed a draw to take the title. A tough, high quality game was still locked at 0-0 and heading for second place heartbreak for St. Joseph's up until the final minute when we were awarded a corner. The cross came in and was flicked on to Kyle McGregor who smashed the ball into the bottom corner. St. Joseph's held on for a precious 1-0 win which led to wild celebrations on and off the pitch as the team topped the group and qualified for the Grand Final at Goodison Park later this month. Well done boys, what a tremendous effort!

EFC Merseyside Finals - Finch Farm (Year 6):

St. Joseph's Year 6 were at Everton's training ground, Finch Farm, to participate in the EFC Merseyside finals as a result of the Wirral title success at Guinea Gap last month. It was always going to be tough, playing against the top teams on Merseyside but the boys did very well to finish in a very respectable third place on the day. Well played, Year 6.

EFC / Wirral Year 4, 5 and 6 Finals night:

Another successful evening for St. Joseph's - this time at Guinea Gap in Seacombe, where our school was represented in all three age group finals. Year 5 did well to finish in second place but the night belonged to both Years 4 and 6 who won their respective tournaments. This means that both sides will play in the Merseyside finals at Everton's Finch Farm next month where the ultimate prize is a possible place in the grand final at Goodison Park. Well done to all our teams at Guinea Gap.

LFC Premier League Schools Merseyside Finals:

Well done to the team consisting of Year 4, 5 and 6 boys who reached the Merseyside finals, held at Liverpool FC Academy in Kirkby. Despite not winning the title, St. Joseph's performed really well on a memorable day which saw the team meet LFC player, Joe Gomez, and also have a photo with the European Cup.

Liverpool FC Premier League Schools tournament:

The squad who came so close to becoming Merseyside Champions in the Everton tournament are on the road once again in the equivalent competition arranged by Liverpool Football Club. In a tough group comprising of seven teams from across Merseyside, our boys racked up five wins and a draw to top the table. This outstanding performance which included a 4-0, 5-0 and 7-0 win secures the team a place in the Finals stage next week.

Everton FC Premier League Schools tournament:

Having qualified as one of the top two Wirral teams in the Everton FC 6-a-side tournament, St. Joseph's were invited to Everton's training ground, Finch Farm for the Merseyside finals. Up against the top two sides from Liverpool, Knowsley and Sefton, the boys were able to progress through the group and semi-final stage to set up a mouth-watering final against Childwall Primary School. Having led through a second half Callum Maddocks free-kick, the boys conceded an equaliser two minutes from time to send the match to penalties. A cruel combination of missing a sudden death penalty to win the match, plus striking the woodwork and having to re-take the deciding penalty eventually led to Childwall being crowned Champions and left the St. Joseph's team pondering what could have been. It is worth remembering though, that this was essentially a Year 6 competition, so for our experimental side of Year 6, 5 and 4 to reach the Merseyside Final was a magnificent effort. Well done, boys.

EFC / Wirral Year 6 Competition:

Again run by Everton FC, this is a separate competition to the one above. Our Year 6 boys won the first round of games, held at Guinea Gap pitches in Seacombe. The team will return at the end of the month to see if they can follow in the footsteps of the 2015 Year 3 and Year 4 sides who were crowned Wirral Champions. Good luck, boys.

Not to be outdone, our Year 5 boys participated at the Under-10 equivalent tournament, again held at Guinea Gap. Three straight wins ensured that the Year 5 team will join Year 6 on Finals night on 31st March.

Year 6 Love to Dance Festival at Ridgeway High:

A group of Year 6 pupils had the opportunity to perform at the Love to Dance Festival at Ridgeway High School this month. After several weeks of hard work with Miss Barrie, Mrs Evans and Mrs Kelly, the group were able to produce a dance sequence set to Justin Bieber's Number 1 hit, 'Sorry.' This was then performed at the festival and during assembly at St. Joseph's. Well done to everybody involved.

Tranmere Rovers Girls 7-a-side tournament:

Girls from Year 4,5 and 6, some of whom experiencing their first taste of competitive football, entered the annual TRFC Girls competition. Mixed results of wins, draws and defeats contributed to an enjoyable afternoon which saw the St. Joseph's girls finishing second in their group. This wasn't enough to progress to the next round, but a great time was had by all. Well done, girls.

St. Joseph's Darts Championship 2016:

Congratulations to KEIRA BRADY-JONES from 6B who is this year's St. Joseph's Darts Champion. She narrowly defeated Kacper Grodzki 4-3 in a topsy-turvy final which saw both players have darts to win the match. A record attendance of over 100 spectators packed into the hall to witness Keira become the first ever female winner in the tournament's eight year history. Well done to both players for their tremendous effort.

St. Joseph's Darts Championship 2016:

The end of the half term traditionally sees the climax of the St. Joseph's Darts Championship. This year's final will be between Keira Brady-Jones and Kasper Grodzki. Keira has already made St. Joseph's history by becoming the tournament's first ever female finalist.

Everton FC Premier League Schools Tournament:

An experimental St. Joseph's squad comprising of Year 4, 5 and 6 boys almost created a huge shock in the (mainly Year 6) annual EFC tournament at Bromborough's Soccer Loco. The boys were unbeaten all the way to the final where we were eventually defeated on penalties by St. John's, Bebington, despite St. Joseph's hitting the woodwork twice in normal time. It was a truly heroic performance from a squad which promises much for the future.

After-school sport for Spring 2016:

Cricket (Year 3 & 4)

Cross Country (Year 4, 5 & 6)

Football (Year 5 & 6)

Dance (Year 6)

Gymnastics (Year 3 & 4)

Multi-skills (Year 1 - 6)

Netball (Year 6)

For Year 6 pupils, the Spring term means just one thing: THE ST. JOSEPH'S DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP!

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Tranmere Rovers 7-a-side tournament:

St. Joseph's Year 6 team have already made history this year by winning the Wirral / Tranmere Rovers 6-a-side tournament. Having been defeated in the final on three previous occasions, the boys were delighted to finally get their hands on the trophy. Our victory was recognised with a visit by two Tranmere Rovers players who answered questions and presented the boys with the trophy.