FOOTBALL fans on the East Coast can look forward to a healthy serving of football action today when the Buxton ground comes alive with competition in the Annual Mayor’s Cup 9-a-side Inter-Ward/Village knockout football tournament.
Teams are in the hunt for the few remaining quarter-final places and the contests promise to be intense. Today’s play at Buxton commences from 18:00hrs with New Amsterdam against Turkeyen. That will be followed by Airy Hall facing City Strikers then Tucville opposing Smythtown and Timehri battling Mahaicony in the preliminary matches.
Following those games, the winners collide for a place in the quarters. Two key games will close out the night, with Friendship Front colliding with Road Warriors and BV opposing Bourda All Stars. The winners will secure places in the quarterfinals.
With further changes to the fixtures on the original programme due to unforeseen circumstances, organiser and former national footballer and coach, Lennox Arthur, has fixed games for the Den Amstel ground next Sunday April 24 from 14:00hrs when the tournament continues.
Pouderoyen are down to face Stewartville, Sara Lodge challenge Back Street Kings, Den Amstel battle Uitvlugt and West Side Spartan tangle with Bagotville. The winners will collide after that to claim their quarter-final spots.
Arthur informed that the grand finale is set for May 1 at Buxton with the quarters, semis and finale to close the curtain on this 2022 edition of the Mayor’s Cup, in honour of current Mayor of Georgetown, Mayor Ubraj Narine.
Several leading footballers are expected to be on show and among them are Gregory Richardson, Jamaal Harvey, Ryan Hackett, Jeremy Garnett and Delon Lanferman.
Haslington and Sparta Boss were the early teams through to the quarterfinals and a keen battle is promised today and next Sundaym April 24, for the remaining places in the quarters.
Maggie’s has joined the list of sponsors which include: IPA, DDL, Digicel, Johil, John Fernandes, General Equipment, Busta, GTT, NAMILCO, MACORP, New Thriving, Sattar Gafoor, B. Megan, Pritipaul Singh, Ready Mix, Eddie Bobcat, Silvie’s, Caribbean Containers, E Networks, SuperBet, Cummings Electrical, China Trading, Dave Lumber Yard, Schlumberger, Pure Diamond, Gold Target Exports and CIDI.
Arthur has expressed heartfelt gratitude to them for their assistance.
The teams are battling for attractive caxh prizes and the respective trophies, with a first prize of $600 000, second prize $300 000, third $200 000 and fourth $100 000 on offer. Mid Atlantic Oil and Gas Company is the sponsor for the winning purse of $600 000.
The rules governing the tournament include: the no-offside rule and teams are allowed five substitutions. The games are of two 20-minute segments for a 40-minute duration. The tournament is a straight knockout one with no extra time being played. A tie at the end of regulation would result in the teams duelling in the dreaded sudden-death penalty shootout.
All other FIFA rules apply and the referee is the sole authority of these games. Teams who show up late beyond a reasonable time, determined by the organisers, will be disqualified and their game forfeited via the walk-over route.