By Jeff Trotman
Fifteen goals in two matches spiced the opening of the inaugural Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) GT Beer Cup opening on Wednesday at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.
In the opening game Blue Berry Hill United pummelled South Amelia’s Ward by six goals to one while the youthful Eagles trounced Coomacka 7-1. Both losers were newcomers to UDFA competition and enjoyed the consolation of the $25,000 award for appearing in the first round.
Despite intermittent rain earlier in the day, a sizeable ground turned up to witness the double header and Linden football fans particularly the female spectators screamed lustily in appreciation of the exciting contests on the field and the treat of multiple goals.
However, veteran football fans and former players cringed through the double header on the soggy pitch, particularly over the kick and rush style of the first game as they longingly recalled a time when the standard of football was much higher in Linden, which once had the luxury of fielding seven players on the national team.
Ronel Bristol netted twice in the 62nd and 89th minutes to lead the scoring for Blue Berry Hill in their 6-1 victory against South Amelia’s Ward. Keron Noble opened the scoring with the goal of the match in the 12th minute with a right-footed shot from just outside the eighteen yards box that beat the keeper on the first post. The other goal scorers for Blue Berry Hill were: Malvin Benn (61st); Gavin Morrison (78th); and Marley Major with a penalty in the 80th minute. Aubrey Paddy scored the lone goal for South Amelia’s Ward in the 50th minute.
In the second game, Deon Charter scored a hat trick (6th, 25th and 49th) in Eagles’ 7-1 win against Coomacka. The other Eagles goals came through Leonard Johnson (37th and 41st), Delon Charter (82nd) and Alister Johnson (88th). Delwin Daw scored the lone goal for Coomacka in the 63rd minute.
An elaborate opening ceremony was planned for 5.30 P.M. to precede the two matches. However, the inclement weather dampened the ceremony somewhat with a late start as the players of the fourteen clubs marched with their banners and in their respective colours from the Wisroc/Amelia’s Ward Bus Park, accompanied by the Linmine Drum Corps to the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.
The opening ceremony included the recital of the National Pledge by school boy, Essien McNeil and featured interpretive dancing by three female members of the Retrieve Youth Corps, a solo saxophone rendition of “My Guyana Eldorado” by Pastor Richard McDonald and a vocal rendition by Niomi Alsopp.
President of the Guyana Football Federation, Christopher Matthias and Troy Peters, Communications Manager of Banks DIH made brief addresses, commending the UDFA for staging the knockout competition while President of the UDFA, Sharma Solomon in delivering the feature address, opined that the inaugural UDFA GT Beer Cup, which would provide seven days of competitive football, climaxing on New Year’s day “is larger than football of itself”.
He stressed: “We are here to preserve our culture … a rich cultural legacy that this community would have grown accustomed to for over two decades – football at the end of the year. “
Noting that 11 December 2013 was a special day for football in Region Ten, Solomon said it was so because “it marks the rebirth of year end football” in Linden. “For far too long, three years to be exact, Linden would have suffered from (the absence of) its beloved game to which we had grown accustomed to. For too long the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground would have stood silent at the end of the year.”
He further stated that the UDFA wanted to ensure that the tournament was played exclusively by clubs within the Region in order to rebuild the confidence of the local fans so that they would engage in full participative support of the teams from their respective communities.
He thanked Banks DIH and GT Beer, in particular, for sponsoring the tournament to the tune of over $7M in the effort to ensure a positive rebirth of football in the Region and to foster heightened and holistic economic activities that football had previously ensured at this time of year.
During his brief address, the UDFA President also thanked Banks DIH for its promised three-year collaboration with the UDFA and for sponsoring a football league that will begin early in the New Year.
The UDFA GT Beer Cup continues on Tuesday, 17th December with a double header: Botofago versus Hi-Stars and Vasco versus Rosebowl.
