Jeremy Corbyn might finally have found some strikes he does not like – after Labour’s football team was thrashed 6-0 by journalists today.
The party’s side, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and several MPs, was humiliated in the traditional conference match.
The result could have been even worse but for the efforts of backbencher Toby Perkins, who saved a slew of shots from Lobby hacks to keep the goal tally down.
Mr Khan took to the field today despite being embroiled in a huge political row over the Transport for London decision to cancel Uber’s licence to operate in London.
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham was among the MPs on the Labour team that was humiliated by journalists today
London mayor Sadiq Khan crashed to the deck as he failed to turn the tide during a torrid showing for Labour’s side
Mr Khan was shackled by the journalists during the traditional party conference match, which ended up with Labour suffering a 6-0 thrashing
It is the biggest defeat in years for the Labour team at the hands of reporters.
And Mr Corbyn, who is a keen Arsenal fan but did not take to the pitch, will be hoping it is not a bad omen for the party, which is on a high after a better-than-expected election result.
As the match took place, Mr Corbyn was being interviewed on the BBC hinting at backing illegal strike action that is being threatened by unions.
But the strikes on the pitch would have been much less to the veteran left-winger’s taste.
Mr Khan, Mr Burnham and Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram all donned kit for the one-sided defeat against the Lobby XI.
The game took place at Brighton and Hove Albion’s training ground on the south coast, near where the conference is being held this week.
The journalists raced into a 5-0 lead by half-time, raising fears that the score could end up resembling a basketball match.
But the second half was a slightly more even contest, with Labour hitting the woodwork a number of times.
However, they failed to register on the scoresheet thanks to a resilient Lobby defence.
Other notable names in Labour ranks included MPs Stephen Kinnock, Justin Madders and mr Perkins, with the rest of the team bolstered by party staffers.
Mr Khan and Mr Burnham gave it their best during the match, but the politicians came up well short against the Lobby XI
Backbencher Stephen Kinnock )pictured left) was the captain of the Labour team but could not stop them being comprehensively outplayed
Prominent backbencher Mr Kinnock, who stood in as captain after Ian Murray pulled out with a mysterious complaint, praised the speed of Mr Khan’s play.
“There was no ‘Uber for Khan’, he played very well, he’s a one-touch player Sadiq – I think that’s mainly because he wants to get rid of the ball as quickly as he can and run away,” he said.
Mr Kinnock, who has been an outspoken critic of the party leadership, dismissed suggestions that the shadow cabinet had snubbed the encounter.
Asked why no shadow cabinet members played, he replied: “What can I say? The PLP stand united, we’re shoulder to shoulder as always, I’m sure the shadow cabinet was with us in spirit.”
Mr Khan has been a regular in the Labour side for years, and took a break from the conference action to play in the match
The Labour team consisted of MPs, mayors and party staffers, but could not compete with the journalists on the day
Mr Khan worked hard for the team, while Mr Burnham also fought valiantly to no avail as the Lobby XI proved far too strong
Summing up the game, he claimed the result was unfair despite acknowledging a string of saves from Labour keeper Mr Perkins “It was a good match, I think the fact that we lost 6-0 and our goalkeeper was Man of the match probably says a lot about the play,” Mr Kinnock said.
“We hit the woodwork three times, we deserved a goal, I thought 6-3 would have been a fairer result.”
Mr Burnham came closest for Labour in the first half with a spectacular volley, while Mr Madders was among those whose efforts rattled off the frame of the goal in the second half.
The matches are a tradition at both the Labour and Tory party conferences, with the game against the Conservatives set for next weekend in Manchester.
The result marks a change in fortune for the Lobby team, who were beaten in last year’s fixture on penalties.
The victorious Lobby team hit the net so many times that they failed to keep track of who scored all their goals.