Milerock, Winners Connection drawn in Group A

…Police, Camptown in Group D action

DEFENDING champions Milerock will have to contend with their Linden compatriots,Winners Connection,along with Grove HiTech and Northern Rangers in Group A for the 2017 edition of the Limacol Round-Robin knock-out football tournament.

The fixtures were drawn yesterday at the Bransville Hotel in Campbellville,with representatives of the sixteen teams on hand to learn their fates and to know about their fixtures.

Group B will feature Western Tigers, Uitvlugt, Eagles United and New Amsterdam United.Group C has Santos, Pouderoyen, Den Amstel and Anns Grove.Meanwhile,group D will have Mayor’s Cup winners Police,along with Riddim Squad, Camptown and Mahaica Determinators.

Troy Mendonca,co-director of Petra,which is co-ordinating the tournament ,said yesterday’s event was done publicly so as to assure all stakeholders that the fixtures were drawn fairly and in a transparent manner.

He continued by reminding of the reason for the tournament format, which features a group stage and then a knock-out stage, instead of straight knock-out, saying “If you could remember,Milerock last year lost their opening game and came back strong to win the tournament. You could have a bad day, you never know.”

Mendonca said the tournament’s aim, with the blessing of the Guyana Football Federation, is to provide support to the STAG Elite league as a Division two fixture,from where teams can be elevated.

Meanwhile,the tournament’s first playing date,January 23rd,will see Group D action when Police play Mahaica and Riddim Squad oppose Camptown; both games being played at the GFC ground, Bourda.

Action returns again on the 27th when Group B’s Western Tigers play New Amsterdam United at GFC while Group C’s Santos opposes Ann’s Grove.

The following evening will see action at the MacKenzie Sports Club ground as Milerock play Northern Rangers and Winners Connection play Grove HiTech in Group A.

On January 29, the games shift to the West Side where Uitvlugt plays Eagles United and Pouderoyen takes on Den Amstel.

The winning team will take home $500,000 and a trophy, while the second, third and fourth placed teams will collect $250,000, $125,000 and $75,000, respectively.

Additionally, the team that tops each group will get $100,000, second place $50,000, third place $30,000 and fourth place $20,000.

The tournament will feature Trophies and in excess of $2million and will be contested in a round-robin format initially, before the knockout phase commences.