But yet again the real winners were football and the charitable causes that the event supports.

Just months after Marine Alexander Lucas was killed in action on November 24, 2008, during a tour of duty in Afghanistan, his friends and family back home in the Borders decided to create a lasting legacy.

The 24-year-old had been a keen footballer – turning out for many of the senior and amateur teams in Peebles and Innerleithen as well as the Royal Marine team – and it was fitting that a memorial tournament should be staged in his memory.

Six years and over £100,000 later it is as big and popular as ever.

And during a poignant ceremony to rename the Whitestone Park stand in Alec’s honour his father Adrian explained the comfort his family take from the support the tournament receives. He said: “It is a fantastic recognition of Alec to have the stand named after him – and something that means an awful lot to our family.

“We, as a family, arrived in Peebles on August 17, 1999. I took the Scottish Ambulance Service and we moved up from Chester – Alec was down here playing football as a boy on this very pitch at Whitestone Park just a day later.

“We hear locally that people in Peebles have taken the tournament on as their own. Year after year we see more and more children running around with their strips on – we seem to be going from strength to strength.

“Peebles is also very proud of its military ties, they don’t mind that we also support Marines charities as well.” The past five tournaments and surrounding fundraising events had raised just under £88,000. The money is dished out to grassroots football around Peeblesshire and has helped kit out many youth teams, buy a minibus, erect floodlights and purchase a lot of other equipment required for running clubs. The Memorial Fund also supports the Royal Marines Charitable Trust and the Royal Marines Woodland Trust at RM Condor in Arbroath, where Alec was based.

Sales and coffee mornings leading up to Saturday’s tournament added £6,000 to the fund and the various collections, raffles and stalls on Saturday brought in a further £6,700.

Carol Drummond from the organising committee was delighted to have broken the £100,000 by the end of play on Saturday. She said: “We are all delighted with the support and the amount we have raised.

“We have to thank everyone who has played their part over the past six years – we seem to be getting good at this fundraising game.” Local sculptor Ger Rossi was given the honour of cutting the ribbon on the renamed stand. Mr Rossi, who is part of the Peebles Rovers committee, had created two plaques to commemorate the renaming.

And following an immaculately-observed minute’s silence the 16 teams from as far afield as Arbroath and Chester kicked off another memorable day of football.

From the group stages the Marines from Pheonix emerged along with Carluke Hearts, Tweeddale Rovers, Dalmore, Spartans, Linton Hotspur, Leithen Rovers and Vale of Leithen.

Despite the blazing sun the pace was high and the goals were aplenty.

The impressive young Carluke team squeezed past Pheonix before Dalmore knocked out Tweeddale on a penalty shoot-out.

Spartans made short work of Linton Hostpur with former Gala Fairydean Rovers player Kyle Hogg scoring a hat-trick.

But this is football and there was still time for a little controversy. Despite Vale of Leithen dominating their quarter-final with Leithen Rovers, it was Rovers who squeezed through 1-0. The full time celebrations were cut short for the Innerleithen amateurs, though, as they were disqualified for fielding a player who had already turned out for the Peebles Under 17s team.

In a tense semi-final Carluke required penalties to beat Tweeddale after neither team could find the net during the 15 minutes of open play.

And in the other semi-final Spartans edged out Vale 2-1.

The final turned into one-man show with Lanarkshire farmer James Frame scoring a hat-trick to help his Carluke Hearts team seal a 3-1 win.

Scott Irvine was on target for Spartans.

Hearts manager Joe Hill said: “I am over the moon to have won. We have been beaten in the final twice before so it’s good to finally win.

“James has scored 11 goals this afternoon and deserved his hat-trick in the final.” Spartans, who featured many Borderers including David Bonnar, Craig McBride, Luke Geurues (sp) and Mikey Graham, were managed for the day by Chris Anderson from Peebles.

Chris told us: “We had a very young team who were pulled together for the tournament. They did really well to get to the final but seemed to tire a little in that last match.” It was a former Marines colleague of Alec Lucas who presented the medals and trophies.

Colour sergeant Paul 'Baz’ Barret from 45 Commando had a leg blown off during the Afghanistan conflict. He said: “I was privileged to have played with Alec and I was the captain when we won the Navy Cup in my last match.

“As a Marine I’ve seen good times and I’ve seen sad times – today I’ve seen an amazing time. Everyone who has played their part in organising today should be proud. I only wish I could be playing again.”