Samba Foundation FC

09/08/2026

⚽️ GAME 16 | MATCH REPORT
🏟️ Olivebank Stadium, Musselburgh Athletic FC
🟡 Yellow 4–3 Blue 🔵
🤝 Proud to Support: SNAC & The Burgh Foundation

Before a ball was kicked, we already had just under £4,000 banked from our hugely successful Crazy Bingo Night back in April, with the money being split between SNAC and The Burgh Foundation.

We raised even more money on the day, along with donations through our JustGiving page, to help raise a little more for SNAC. We’ll update everyone with the final total in the next few days. ❤️

Today’s game was an emotional one. In the week leading up to the match, we received the heartbreaking news that a friend of The Samba, Kris McLoughlin, had sadly passed away. To show our support and pay our respects, we held a minute’s applause before kick-off. This is a matter incredibly close to our hearts at The Samba. We work closely with Andy’s Man Club, wearing their T-shirts during our warm-ups and sharing photos online to help raise awareness of su***de prevention and, most importantly, the importance of talking. ❤️

🟡🔵 FIRST HALF

A very special moment before kick-off saw Jackson Doig, the young lad who is the reason we are supporting and raising awareness for SNAC, kick off the match. Jackson was wearing his very own Samba top, with “Doig JR” on the back – a special memento for him. ❤️

The match sprang into life immediately. In the 5th minute, Matty Watson was brought down in the box, giving Yellows a penalty. Robert Doig stepped up but unfortunately blasted his spot-kick high over the bar.

The game was end-to-end, with chances being created at both ends, but it was Blue who broke the deadlock in the 17th minute. Rich Rintoul’s shot was deflected into the path of Kyle Boggie, who rattled the ball in off the crossbar to make it 1–0 Blue.

Yellow responded just four minutes later. Graham Miller dribbled past a couple of defenders before playing the ball to Craig Robertson, who produced the goal of the day, firing into the far corner to make it 1–1.

Blue hit back two minutes later. Ryan Lindsay produced a lung-busting run down the wing before firing over a great cross for Robbie Simpson to tap in at the back post. 2–1 Blue. Yellows fought back and levelled again in the 30th minute. A Dirk Otway corner found Graham Miller, who rose highest in the box to head home and make it 2–2.

With half-time fast approaching, Yellows took the lead for the first time. Dirk Otway picked out Mark Boggie in the box, who calmly slotted the ball past the keeper.

⏱️ HALF TIME: 🟡 Yellow 3–2 Blue 🔵

🔵🟡 SECOND HALF

The second half saw both goalkeepers put in excellent performances, with some great saves at either end. There were no further goals until the 80th minute, when Yellows extended their lead.

A sloppy defensive pass left Stephen Sanderson one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and he made no mistake, calmly finishing to make it 4–2 Yellow.

Blue refused to give up and pulled one back in the 86th minute. Paul McPherson was brought down in the box by the keeper and the second penalty of the game was awarded. Kyle Boggie stepped up and calmly slotted the ball past the keeper to make it 4–3.

Blues pushed for a late equaliser, but Yellows held on for a hard-fought victory.

🏁 FULL TIME: 🟡 Yellow 4–3 Blue 🔵

✨ MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Jackson Doig kicking the game off ❤️

🏆 MAN OF THE MATCH
Ross Brown - Made many great saves throughout the match, played a key part in getting his team the victory.

🟡 TEAM YELLOW

Mark Boggie ⚽️
Ross Brown (GK) 🏆
Barry Chambers
Joe Dickens
Jackson Doig
Robert Doig
Gary Johnstone
James Lothian
Jon McGraw
Graham Miller ⚽️🅰️
Dirk Otway 🅰️🅰️
Craig Robertson (C) ⚽️
Stephen Sanderson ⚽️
Leighton Thomson
Matty Watson
Jonny Watt

Manager: Robert Doig
Assistant: Michael Cairns

🔵 TEAM BLUE

Kyle Boggie ⚽️⚽️
Alex Cameron
Dan Cuthbertson
Andy Coventry
David Donald
Kev Fettes
Ryan Lindsay 🅰️
Paul McPherson 🅰️
Ian Midwinter
Rich Rintoul 🅰️
Selos (C)
Robbie Simpson ⚽️
Marc Skinner (GK)
Ryan Somerville
Damian Otway

Manager: David Donald
Assistants: Andy & Lucas Moran

❤️ A huge thank you to everyone who came along, donated and supported us today.

A special thank you to Maisie’s Bakes for coming along and selling their amazing cookies and brownies – they went down a treat! 🍪

🤝 Club Sponsor: Celsius Plumbing and Heating
❤️ Proud to support: Andys Man Club

02/08/2026

It’s now just 7 days until the Samba are back in action at Olivebank Stadium, home of Musselburgh Athletic FC! Game kicks off at 2pm ⚽

If you’re coming along to support, make sure you stop by Maisie’s Bakes who will there on the day serving up their amazing cookies and brownies – the perfect matchday treat! 🍪

We’ll also have a tombola taking place on the day, so please bring some cash if you can. Every penny raised from the tombola will be added to our JustGiving total in support of SNAC.

If you’re unable to make it, or would simply like to support our fundraising for a special charity, you can still make a donation by visiting our JustGiving page:

Help Samba Foundation FC raise money to support Scottish Network for Arthritis in Children

26/07/2026

After a couple of months off following our appearances at Tynecastle and the Stadium of Light in May, The Samba return to action on Sunday 9th August, with a 2:00pm kick-off at Olivebank Stadium, home of Musselburgh Athletic FC.

This fixture is linked to our hugely successful charity night held in Musselburgh back in April, where we raised an incredible £4,000. The money will be split equally between The Burgh Foundation and SNAC (Scottish Network for Arthritis in Children).

The Burgh Foundation is an initiative of Musselburgh Athletic that supports through a range of projects, helping both on and off the pitch.

SNAC are a charity especially close to our hearts. SNAC has provided invaluable help and support to Jackson Doig, the son of Robert Doig, and we're proud to be supporting the amazing work they do for children and families affected by juvenile arthritis.

We'd love to see as many people along as possible to support on the day with free entry to all supporters.

💛💙

14/06/2026

A huge thank you to Andys Man Club for their kind words following our recent match in Sunderland.

Playing at the Stadium of Light was special in itself, but being able to raise and donate £880 to the incredible Andy’s Man Club made the occasion even more meaningful.

As a team, we're proud to support su***de prevention awareness. For every match, we wear Andy’s Man Club t-shirts to warm up in and help spread their message and encourage conversations around men's mental health.

Andy’s Man Club provides free peer-to-peer support groups across the UK, working tirelessly to end the stigma surrounding men's mental health through the power of conversation. Their message is simple but powerful: .

If you'd like to support the fantastic work they do, please consider making a donation via the link below, which will take you directly to their JustGiving page:

https://www.justgiving.com/charity/andysmanclub

💛💙

26/05/2026

Stadium of Light: A Samba Bucket List Experience 🤩

The Samba did things a little differently for Game 15 as we decided to dip our toes across the border into England. We travelled to the Stadium of Light, home of Sunderland FC, to play in our largest stadium to date with a massive capacity of around 49,000. The grass was being cut as we arrived, and the sprinklers were switched on, making the surface absolutely perfect for a Samba game of football. It was an energy-sapping occasion, though, with pitch-side temperatures reaching a scorching 28°C!

​First Half
​The Blue team came out of the traps flying and grabbed an early lead. Johnny Cairns slipped the ball to Dirk Otway, who did brilliantly to fend off two defenders and toe-poke it home. The Yellows soon stepped it up and got back on level terms when Rich Rintoul played a lovely ball over the top for Jon McGraw. McGraw ran onto it and beat the goalkeeper at the near post to make it 1-1.

​The Yellows then flipped the game on its head to go 2-1 ahead. Paul McPherson caught the Blues out with another great ball over the top, which Kyle Boggie latched onto and fired home. With the half-time whistle fast approaching, the Yellows extended their lead. Selos found Bobe Boyd, who curled a stunning effort in from 20 yards out for the goal of the day. 3-1 Yellows at the break.

​Second Half
​The second half really sparked into life around the hour mark. Aaron Robinson received the ball from Dirk Otway inside the box and smashed it into the roof of the net to make it 3-2. It turned into a quick-fire double for the Blues as Johnny Cairns found the net from inside the box after a neat pass from Otway, levelling the game at 3-3.

​With fifteen minutes to go, the Blues completed the turnaround. Some great team passing saw Johnny Cairns go one-on-one with the goalie, but he unselfishly cut it back to give Darren Rintoul an easy tap-in. Minutes later, the Blues scored their fourth on the bounce. It was another incredibly unselfish goal, this time with Dirk Otway cutting back to give Robbie Simpson the easiest of finishes for 5-3.

​The Yellow team rallied hard in the heat and pulled one back in the 89th minute. Bobe Boyd’s shot was parried by the goalie, but it fell perfectly into the path of Selos, who tucked it away to make it 5-4. The Yellows pushed for a dramatic equaliser, but the Blues held firm to walk away with a hard-fought 5-4 victory.

​Full time: Blue Team 5 - 4 Yellow Team.

​Key Moments
​Moment of the Match: 🌟 Welcoming another sibling group into the Samba! Damian Otway joined his brother Dirk in the setup today, making this our 8th sibling group to play for the foundation. 😍

​Man of the Match: 🏆 The Sunderland coaches were watching and decided to pick a MOTM from both teams!
​Blue Team: Johnny Cairns
​Yellow Team: Bobe Boyd

​SQUADS

​SAMBA BLUE
​Kevin Fettes’s Team
​Mark Boggie (C)
Johnny Cairns ⚽️ 🅰️🅰️ 🏆
Alex Cameron
Andy Coventry
Kevin Fettes
Mark McLeod
Ian Midwinter
Dirk Otway ⚽️ 🅰️🅰️
Daz Rintoul ⚽️
Aaron Robinson ⚽️
Robbie Simpson ⚽️ 🅰️
Ross Taylor (GK)
Leighton Thomson
Jonny Watt

​SAMBA YELLOW
​Paul McPherson’s Team
​Kyle Boggie ⚽️
Bobe Boyd (C) ⚽️ 🅰️ 🏆
Barry Chambers
Joe Dickens
David Donald
James Ebbs (GK)
Bailey Forbes
Jon Laidlaw
Jon McGraw ⚽️
Paul McPherson 🅰️
Damian Otway
Rich Rintoul 🅰️
Selos ⚽️ 🅰️
Eugene Taylor

​🛠️ Club Sponsor: Celsius Plumbing and Heating
🤝 Proud to Support: Andys Man Club

22/05/2026

Samba are heading south to the Stadium of Light. 🏟️

This Tuesday at 9.30am, the lads are ticking a major one off the bucket list.

While this one isn’t our usual charity fundraiser, it’s a massive matchday experience for the squad. But as we do every single week, we’re still proud to be using our platform to back the message of Andys Man Club.

Look out for your mates, on and off the pitch.
💛💙

21/05/2026

All the goals from yesterdays game at Tynecastle Park in aid of Big Hearts Community Trust.

Goal 1: Kyle Boggie rifles a free kick into the top corner.

Goal 2: Daz Cain smashes it into the roof of the net.

Goal 3: Johnny Cairns tucks it away after a great through ball from Dirk Ottway.

Goal 4: Kyle Boggie one touch and finish.

Goal 5: Robbie Simpson curls it home (from 25 yards 👀)

Goal 6: Johnny Cairns and Dirk Ottway link up again with a tidy finish.

Goal 7: Mark McLeod doing what he does best.

Some very good goals scored on the day.

FT | Blues 4 - 3 Yellows ⚽

20/05/2026

⚽ Game 14 | Tynecastle Stadium, HeartofMidlothianFC
🔵 Blue 4 - 3 Yellow 🟡
🤝 Proud to Support: Big Hearts Community Trust

Samba had the privilege of playing our 14th game at Tynecastle Stadium. A little rain before kick-off made the pitch a dream to play on. This match was all about raising as much money as possible for Big Hearts. We will announce the total amount raised in the coming weeks.

First Half
Both teams played some great football with chances at both ends. The deadlock broke in the 20th minute when Kyle Boggie rifled a free-kick from the edge of the box into the top corner to make it 1-0 to the Blues.

Not long after, Graham Miller broke down the left wing and cut the ball back for Daz Cain, who smashed it into the roof of the net for 2-0. With ten minutes of the half remaining, Dirk Otway intercepted the ball on the halfway line, drove at the Blue defence, and played a perfect through ball for Johnny Cairns to finish and make it 2-1.

Just before the break, the Blues grabbed a third. Daz Cain made a great run and found Kyle Boggie in the box. With one brilliant touch, Boggie lost his man and fired into the bottom corner. 3-1 Blues at half-time.

Second Half
The second half started as a cagey affair. The game sparked back into life when Rich Rintoul found Robbie Simpson, who curled a 25-yard beauty into the top corner to make it 3-2. The Yellows pushed hard for an equaliser. Calum Sneddon had a massive chance inside the six-yard box, but James Ebbs pulled off a phenomenal save to keep the Blues ahead.

The Yellow pressure finally paid off with ten minutes left. Dirk Otway played a great ball to Johnny Cairns, who expertly fired into the bottom corner for 3-3.

An exciting finale followed, and the Blues took the lead again with five minutes to go. Ryan Lindsay laid the ball off to Mark McLeod on the edge of the box, and he hit an absolute thunderbolt into the top corner, leaving the keeper with no chance. 4-3 Blues.

In stoppage time, the Yellows broke on the counter. Calum Sneddon went one-on-one with the keeper but opted to shoot instead of squaring it to Cairns for an easy tap-in, and Ebbs made another great save. There was time for one last Yellow attack, but Jon McGraw’s distance shot was tipped onto the crossbar by Ebbs to seal the win.

Key Moments

Moment of the Match ✨: Mark Mcleod's worldie to win the Blues the game.
Man of the Match 🏆: James Ebbs. He dominated his box and made crucial saves to win the game. This was his best performance in a Samba shirt to date. 💙

Squads

Yellow Team
Calum Brockway
Ross Brown (GK)
Johnny Cairns ⚽️⚽️
Alex Cameron
Craig Darge
Kevin Fettes
Jon McGraw
Paul McPherson
Dirk Otway 🅰️🅰️
Daz Rintoul
Rich Rintoul 🅰️
Selos
Robbie Simpson ⚽️
Calum Sneddon
Martyn Wallace (C)
Matty Watson
Mark Wilson

Manager: Darren Rintoul
Assistant Manager: Mark Wilson

Blue Team
Kyle Barrett
Steven Buckley
Kyle Boggie ⚽️⚽️
Mark Boggie
Daz Cain (C) ⚽️🅰️
Dan Cuthbertson
Gary Darge
Chris Diotaiuti (GK)
David Donald
James Ebbs (GK) 🏆
Ryan Lindsay 🅰️
Mark McLeod ⚽️
Graham Miller 🅰️
Stephen Sanderson
Ryan Somerville
Leighton Thomson
Jonny Watt

Manager: James Ebbs
Assistant Manager: Gary Darge

🛠 Club Sponsor: Celsius Plumbing and Heating
🤝 Proud to support: Andys Man Club

19/05/2026

Game day tomorrow. ⚽

Samba Foundation FC head to Tynecastle for a 12.30 kick-off - two teams, one goal. Every minute on the pitch is raising money for Big Hearts Community Trust.

We're already at £6,184 with gift aid to be added thanks to 205 amazing supporters. Help us push it further before we lace up tomorrow.

Donate here 👇
https://www.justgiving.com/team/samba-tynecastle

11/05/2026

A massive thank you again to everyone who came out and made our charity night such a brilliant success.

We do want to be completely transparent with you about a frustrating situation behind the scenes. Sadly, one of our original suppliers repeatedly changed our agreed terms before the event. When we rightfully walked away to secure a reliable alternative, they refused to return our £200 deposit. They are currently holding this charity money unlawfully.

As a community-run initiative, every single pound counts. Taking a £200 hit from the final fundraising pot is a real dampener, especially given how hard everyone works to maximise the money we give to the charities.

We are still taking action privately to recover the funds, but we wanted to be honest about why the final total will be slightly lower than it should be.

As soon as we have an update and a final total, we'll let you know.

Thank you so much, as always, for your incredible support.

CRAZY BINGO NIGHT: THANK YOU! 💛💙

What a night. Our first ever charity event off the pitch, and you lot absolutely delivered.

We raised over £4,000. That's incredible, and every single contribution counted, whether you were in the room or bought raffle tickets from afar.

A massive thank you to everyone who came, supported, and showed up for this. And a special shoutout to who was a fantastic host for the evening. He kept the the night alive from start to finish.

That money is going somewhere special. In August, we'll be playing at Olivebank, the home of Musselburgh Athletic, with funds split between The Burgh Foundation and SNAC, a charity that supports children with arthritis and their families. It's a cause close to our hearts, and this game is going to mean a lot.

More to come. Thanks again. 💛💙