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Everton Football Club recently hosted the Merseyside Police Matrix Challenge Shield Football Tournament semi-finals and final at Goodison Park.

The tournament is part of an anti-gun crime initiative put together by the Force's specialist Matrix team. Many partner agencies offered their support to the event including Liverpool City Council, Knowsley Borough Council, Liverpool County FA and The Everton Foundation

The finals were the culmination of numerous qualifying matches played between 30 teams of local boys and girls aged between 11 and 13 years.

It was fitting that on the day of the finals, Goodison Park also hosted the first leg of the annual Rhys Jones Memorial Match between Fir Tree and Our House. Rhys, who was a keen Evertonian, was tragically shot and killed whilst making his way home after football training with his team Fir Tree in August 2007.

The Boys' final was an all-Knowsley affair between Christ The King and All Saints with Christ the King winning a penalty shoot out by 4 goals to 3 after the game had finished 0-0.

The Girls' final again went to a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw with Broughton Hall from West Derby beating Archbishop Beck from Aintree 2-0.

Merseyside Police Chief Constable Bernard Hogan Howe was in attendance at Goodison to present the Challenge Shield to the winning teams.

His colleague, Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Steve Moore, explained: "This tournament is part of a wider campaign aimed at educating young people about the consequences of becoming involved in gun and gang crime. It's a great to see these young people participating.

"It should be remembered that the majority of teenagers are not involved in criminality, or guns and gangs. The wider audience we get this message across the more likely we are to prevent some young people from becoming involved.

Mike Mills of The Everton Foundation added: "We are really pleased to offer our support and host the finals of the tournament at Goodison Park. It was great to see the children enjoying the occasion whilst also being educated about the real dangers of gun and gang crime and the effects these issues can have on local communities."