Feedback from the 2007 Wilderness Vets
Football Tournament (over 35)

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Teams arrived on Friday at the King George Protea Hotel. Everyone is most impressed by this 4 star **** hotel.

The games kicked off at the NMMU campus at 18h00. The highlight of the evening being the clash between Vasco and Lenasia. This turns out to be a real cracker played from end to end with both sides being thwarted by some top goalkeeping and ends in a no goal stalemate. 

The lamb spit braai is enjoyed by all at the conclusion of Friday’s games.

Saturday sees a 09H30 start after a hearty breakfast at the king George Protea. The day itself turns out to be warm and dry with a lunch time wind making an appearance. The top two sides, Vasco and Lenasia are headed for a final showdown. Vasco are relentless in winning all their Saturday matches en route to the final, while Lenasia have a slight hiccup against Blaauberg when they draw 1 – 1 with the Cape Town side. Lenasia however do enough to secure a place in the final.

The final is a cracker, with Lenasia scoring first and then again after catching Vasco on the break. Late in the second half Vasco pull one back with a header and one feels we really have a game on before Lenasia kill the game off in the dying minutes with a third. Final score, 3 – 1 to Lenasia.

We all make it back to the hotel just in time to catch the Boks/All Blacks clash on the hotels big screen in the bar. If only the Boks would have won this we would have enjoyed a perfect weekend. 

The prize giving and gala dinner is enjoyed by all. Prizes are awarded as follows:

Crunchie awards:

• Psycho Vassen wins the first crunchie of the evening. While taking a free kick and attempting to hit his strikers he hoofs the ball up the but of one of his own players 5 yards away.
• Dopey displayed brilliant skills in chipping the keeper and then hitting the side netting
• Mario from Vasco miss kicked a sitter in front of goal and blamed his team mate who he felt had encroached on his space.
• Sebi Rodriguez placed his hands on his head when the ball was played out of the sun towards him and as a result gave away a hand ball.
• Marc from Blaauberg when being sent off vs. Lenasia uses bad language and on discovering his 10 year old was watching took the opportunity to lecture his son on never to use that type of language and not to tell mom.
• Claude Baboli from Blauuberg for proving it’s impossible to play decent football when under the influence.
• Blaaubergs Jason for his own goal.

Other awards:

• Top goal scorer went to Fabio from Vasco
• Player of the tournament went to Philip Spannenburg – Vasco
• 3 blind mice award went to Pops, the oldest referee at tournament.

The top 11 players on display were selected for the All Star side. They were awarded a Hummel shirt each as well as a free weekend stay at the hotel.

1. Thamoo Moodley – Lenasia goalkeeper
2. Brian Wiel – Vasco
3. Gora Ebrahim - Len
4. Ebrahim Nabi - Len
5. George van der Berg – Vasco
6. P Thomson – Vasco
7. Fabio – Vasco
8. Nielan Annamalay – Len
9. Philip Spannenburg – Vasco
10. Razien Ebrahim – Lenasia
11. Kenny Gertse – Vasco

A huge thank you must go to Martin Robinson, the GM at the Protea King George for covering a number of the expenses involved in this tournament and providing exceptionally good accommodation rates. 

Thanks to Neal Townsend for serving as the tournament director. Thanks to the refs for controlling games and ensuring the program ran to schedule.

Last but not least, Hummel Africa for their sponsorship. The prize of a full kit for the winners and boots, tracksuit and bag for the player of the tournament and boots ball and bag for the top scorer are most appreciated by the winners.

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