Voice of Jewish Sport: Can Sam be the man for Redbridge?

SAM SOLLOSI is definitely the man for Redbridge – and could be pivotal for his club between now and the end of the season. His manager Jon Jacobs was waxing lyrical about him after their 4-2 win over London Lions at the weekend. While he may have failed to get on the scoresheet, Jacobs wasn’t holding back on his performance when saying: “I’ve been involved in Jewish Football for over 35 years and I have never seen a better 45 minutes by a player.” Quite a tribute and he’ll have to produce more of the same if the side are to end the season with silverware.

POPE FRANCIS will be hoping for less hostility when his second “Soccer for Peace” match takes place at Rome’s Olympic Stadium on 29 May. Yossi Benayoun was Israel’s highest profile player who took part in the first one at the same venue in 2014, though retired Egyptian footballer Mohammed Aboutrika refused to take part, tweeting: “This is a photo for the match invitation which I turned down because of the Zionist state.” Doing their part for the Pope’s pleas for peace, current Israeli national team player Eran Zahavi took to their official You Tube video to express his thanks for the staging of the match. Someone who is looking forward to taking part in it.

THE DENVER Broncos weren’t the only team celebrating their Super Bowl win on Sunday night. Rabbi Judith Schindler of Temple Beth El in Charlotte and Rabbi Joe Black of Temple Emanuel in Denver, devised “Super Mitzvah 50”, which saw both their Reform communities donate to charity, with two-thirds of the funds raised going to a charity chosen by the synagogue’s winning city. The Broncos’ 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers meant the town’s Jewish Family Service, which provides meals to families in need, were dollars in, though it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Shalom Park Freedom School in Charlotte, who pocketed a third of the fund.