Stage Four – They Think It’s All Over…
As the third and final day dawned, teams’ spirits were riding high. There was a buzz of excitement as teams eagerly waited to play Sir Geoff Hurst, MBE at his own game – a penalty shoot out construction challenge. Aptly named ‘They Think It’s All Over’, teams joined world cup winning football legend Sir Geoff in attempting to build a mechanism that could successfully kick a football into a goal in the fastest possible time.
Teams were each allocated a small Build Area, within which were a start envelope, equipment, one football trainer and tools. Teams were required to fetch the all important football and could opt to collect additional equipment such as bungee cord, rope and bolts - all of which were placed high up on the surrounding hillside.
Teams sent their most ‘DIY-challenged’ members off whilst the others remained behind to plan and design the mechanism. Team 40 Egon Zehnder, were one of the first teams up the hill, returning with football and vital build equipment in hand. A quarter-way into the stage, mechanisms had started to take form. Designs included tepee shaped swing shots, rams and bungee driven crossbows. Team 26 Nexen Petroleum won looks of admiration for their less than sturdy homage to the leaning Tower of Pisa!
Buoyed by their previous stage successes, Team 1 BG Group Strategy were the first to head to the Penalty Spot. With an unsuccessful first shot at goal, they were forced to refine their design but minutes later they were back and to their delight, scored with their second attempt. They were soon joined by Team 4 BG Group Capital Projects and Team 16 TGS in third place.
All eyes were on Sir Geoff Hurst and Team 0 – Joint Charity Team as they took their place at the Penalty Spot. Not for the first time, Sir Geoff’s goal failed to fully cross the line! But with further refinement and Sir Geoff’s proven experience, they finally scored.
As stage time closed, the crowd cheered on the remaining six teams as they each took one last shot at goal. With much encouragement and Mexican waves from the crowd, it was Team 23 Energy Institute who were able to convert their penalty, bringing the most successful construction challenge in BG Energy Challenge history to an end.
Sam Keppel-Compton, Leader Team BG Group 1 Strategy said: “Our aim was to build a design that we could test and modify. Division of labour was key and we managed to build the mechanism quickly leaving us plenty of time to refine it and practice. There is still all to play for but if we keep it steady in the final stage, we’re confident we’ll be challenging for top spot.”
Having tested their football prowess, teams headed on to the fifth and final stage for the run for home in the BG Energy Challenge Grand Prix.