Church-goers are swapping the pews for the pitch to smash a footballing world record.
Players from the Cotswold Churches football league are aiming to play the longest continuous soccer match to raise money for impoverished communities in India.
Cambray FC, made up of members of the Cambray Baptist Church congregation, will face up to an all-stars team from the church league.
The Guinness World Record for the longest match stands at 37 hours – and the teams are hoping to beat it by three hours.
Cambray captain George Daldry, 50, said: “Spirits are really high. We’re top of the league and feeling super fit.
“The players are extremely excited at having an opportunity to break a world record.”
The two teams, with squads of 18 players aged between 18 and 50 years old, will play in a squad rotation system to reserve energy.
Players will sleep on the sidelines as the teams tackle the 40-hour challenge.
The teams are given a five-minute break for each hour of play, which they can either take immediately or accumulate for a longer rest.
They hope their efforts will raise £30,000 for the Dalit Community In India, which builds and equip schools. Manager Steve Jones, a worship leader at Cambray Baptist Church, said: “We’ll have one eye on the scoreline, but that’s not what it’s about. We’re going to have a sensible style of play – a lot of ball to feet. I’ll be telling the team to play like the Brazilians. No long balls and no hard tackles.”
Right midfielder Chris Standing, who teaches at Dean Close Preparatory School, said: “The logistics are frightening. The team has to organise medics, referees, time keepers and official witnesses. There’s so much going on in the background. But we’re so excited.”
So far 12 referees from Gloucestershire Referees Association have signed up to take part. The match will take place on Friday April 30 at Bishop’s Cleeve Football Club. Entry for supporters is free.
For more information or to donate online, visit www.football4dalits.com.
