Vince Cable

Despite losing 3-0 in the first round of the FA cup to Dagenham and Redbridge, the borough's football team, Hampton and Richmond, attracted a lot of praise for holding their own against a team two divisions higher for all but the last 20 minutes.

Vincent Cable, MP, who attended the game with the Mayor, and Brian Barwick, chair of the English FA who is a local resident) said that "for most of the match, Hampton were more than a match for the visitors but I think fitness told eventually. The crowd of 2,252 was about ten times higher than the gate on my previous visits and the club demonstrated the potential for moving up through the leagues. Hampton were certainly not disgraced and hopefully will soon get promotion to the next league, the Conference".