Affiliate giant Catena Media beat all comers at Stamford Bridge on 22 May to be crowned champions of the third annual SBC Championship.
Over 140 representatives from the sports betting industry made up 16 teams at this year’s tournament, which was sponsored by innovative payments firm Trustly.
And it was the Trustly team that was pipped in the final, with Catena Media Royale edging out the Trustly Avengers in a sudden death penalty shoot out after a goalless match.
With former FIFA and Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher laying down the law, the victory was down to an inspired man of the match performance from the Royale’s goalkeeper Benjamin Darvill.
Sam Barrett, director of gaming at Trustly, managed to see the positives despite his team’s loss in the final. He commented: “The SBC Championship is one of the key events in the year for us, we get the opportunity to come and play at Stamford Bridge, all our clients, partners and friends in the industry come here every year to play with us so it an amazing opportunity.”
The tournament, which also had supporting partners in the shape of Catena Media and BetConstruct, also starred former Spanish international and two time Champions League finalist Gaizka Mendieta.
Mendieta joined Rasmus Sojmark’s SBC Judgement Day, which bettered its previous performance with a run to the semi-finals. Mendieta rolled back the years and orchestrated the team’s journey, including scoring a goal directly from a corner.
After the event, players and spectators alike were able to unwind and mingle at Stamford Bridge’s Frankie’s Bar.
Golden Race’s William Charalambous said: “Every year the SBC Championship is a great event, it brings us all together and it’s nice to see everyone in the industry with a little bit of competitiveness.
“You get most of the important people in the industry here and it’s good to catch up with everyone.”
Naomi Totten, Corporate Communications Manager at Paddy Power Betfair and striker for the women’s team at Brentford FC, commented: “It’s a great way of meeting people in the industry that you might not get a chance to meet.”
Luis Mazuecos Ceballo of Optima added: “We were really excited to play here with lots of colleagues from the sector, and be able to chat to people and make new friendships. Events that SBC run are important for a company like us to show off our brand and we are proud to attend.”
To see pictures from the day, click here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-championship-2019/pictures/