Now in its second year, the hudson firm fives saw 18 teams, drawn from legal organisations, go head to head in Edinburgh last month. 2006 defending champions, the glasgow bar association, were again in top form as they faced the challenge of a number of new entrants. But did they have what it took to fight off all comers? Well, yes actually.

Liam O’Donnell and his Glasgow Bar Association (GBA) team walked into the World of Football at Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange with everything to lose as reigning Hudson Firm Fives champions. But they ended up walking out glorious winners for the second successive year after yet another tremendous display of teamwork, understanding and determination.
A total of 18 law firms, in-house teams and legal organisations threw their boots into the ring this year to contest the Hudson Firm Fives tournament, held on Friday 5th October. Kick off was 3pm sharp and all the teams were raring to go when the first round group games got underway.
Despite their firm being raided just hours earlier, HBJ Gateley Wareing braved the jibes and the jokes to mount their challenge for the trophy, however their opening match against GBA showed their minds were clearly in other places as they went down 4-0. As one spectator remarked: “You’d have thought they would have done better having Maradona as part of the team, wouldn’t you?”.
Last year’s defeated finalists MacRoberts got off to a nightmare start in this year’s competition losing 3-0 to Gildeas of Glasgow, a team that had failed to make it through the first round last year and who clearly wanted to make amends for 2006’s early departure.
Two new teams to the Hudson Firm Fives this year, Davidson Chalmers and the Scottish Young Lawyers Association (SYLA), both got off to impressive starts, with Davidson Chalmers beating DLA Piper 2-0 in their opening tie and SYLA drubbing Semple Fraser 7-1 in their opener. Davidson Chalmer’s Gary Georgeson was looking Ronaldo-esque as he bobbed and weaved and fired in a number of strikes in the early stages to get the new boys off to a flying start.
Another new entrant, Warners, also set the early pace, winning their first two games 4-2 and 5-0 respectively against Government Legal Solicitor’s Service (GLSS) and Semple Fraser.
Morton Fraser also raced out of the stalls, beating Brodies 2-1 in their first game and going on to annihilate D&W 7-1 before they lost their closing group fixture 4-0 to Anderson Strathern.
The four match referees were also kept on their toes as the law firms sized each other up and tried to psyche each other out in the early games with GBA’s Professor Barry Rodger being spoken to after reacting with rage when he had a goal ruled out when they met Hudson in their group clash. Barry later went on to make amends for that missed opportunity in the final.
And so after the first round clashes, eight teams progressed to the quarter final stages, they were Morton Fraser, Davidson Chalmers, SYLA, GBA, Hudson, Warners, Gildeas and D&W.
Davidson Chalmers were again on top form as they brushed aside Warners 3-0, likewise GBA eased past D&W with a 2-0 win. It was a very tense affair as Morton Fraser faced Hudson. There was very little to choose between the two sides, but the organisation of Hudson captain Andrew Inglis saw the recruitment firm into the semi final.
However, the toughest battle for a semi final place took place between SYLA and Gildeas. The Glasgow law firm Gildeas restored pride after last year’s dismal performance by taking the tournaments hot shots to a penalty shootout after full time ended 1-1. It was just the calm heads and some heroic goal keeping from the SYLA keeper Jim McLaughlin that saw the SYLA through.
So the semi-final line up saw two thrilling encounters, Davidson Chalmers facing Hudson, and the SYLA going up against the proven might of the reigning champions, the GBA. The radically improved Hudson once again eased their way past their opponents, beating Davidson Chalmers 3-1. Davidson Chalmers captain, Gary Georgeson, put the defeat down to fatigue as the team had only recently played in another tournament.
The other semi-final saw GBA fending off the onslaught of the youthful (in comparison) SYLA team, which was making its first appearance since signing a significant shirt sponsorship deal with law firm Thorley Stevenson.
The youth and vitality of the SYLA team tested the more mature yet more experienced legs of the GBA and it was SYLA who struck first, going 1-0 ahead. GBA quickly launched their onslaught and despite more heroics from the SYLA keeper GBA drew on their years of playing together and it was Professor Barry Rodger who equalised with minutes left on the clock. The tense affair played out to a 1-1 draw and again SYLA took a game to a penalty shootout. Unfortunately for the new kids on the block there was just not enough magic left in their boots and the GBA made it through to their second final in as many years, this time to face the tournament sponsors Hudson.
The final kicked off and the tackles were fierce as GBA battled in order to retain their crown against a Hudson team, whose improvement since last year was so dramatic that a few onlookers suggested that perhaps there had been a few performance enhancing drugs doing the rounds. A tournament spokesman did comment that next year teams might be forced to take random drugs tests to ensure no performance improvement drugs are being used!
However, the sheer might and determination of GBA showed through again when hot shot Professor Barry Rodger stormed down the right flank and fired a shot that quite literally crashed off the keeper, knocking him to the floor, with the ball just dribbling over the line for the only goal of the game and the goal that once again saw GBA crowned as Hudson Firm Five Champions.