Several champions will be crowned across various age groups as the popular Glenville Celtic John Nance Junior Football Tournament reaches its climax at the Gelvandale Sports Grounds on Friday.
The tournament is growing from strength to strength and the 27th edition of the five-day event started on Monday, attracting close to 400 aspiring football players.
Glenville Celtics Football Club have produced many well-known soccer players such as former Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United player Daine Klate, former Bafana Bafana player Elrio van Heerden, Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Kaylin Swarts and former Cape Town Spurs player Denwin Farmer.
Tournament director Trevor Reid said the main purpose of hosting the tournament was to keep children occupied and off the streets during the school holidays.
“We have 25 different clubs that are competing this year, and they come from across Nelson Mandela Bay and not only from the northern areas,” Reid said.
“In total, the clubs have registered 96 different teams ranging from under-7, U9, U13, U15, U17 and up to U19.
“This is the biggest junior tournament in the country. I have yet to see a junior tournament bigger than this one in the country.
“The main reason for this tournament, when we started 27 years ago, was to have at least one week of the school holiday to keep the children off the streets away from drugs, gangsterism and alcohol.
“To try to create a safe space for the kids. We were fortunate this year to get a sponsor on board, which is Tiger Brands.”
Reid said Tiger Brands’ sponsorship with Jungle Oats made sure that the young players were offered a healthy breakfast every morning and did not play on an empty stomach.
“As you know, because the schools are closed, these kids are not getting food from the feeding scheme at school any more.”
The finals are all scheduled to take place on Friday.
“The tournament is going very well, we are busy with the quarterfinals now, there are some hiccups here and there, but we are getting there,” Reid said.
“There are no lights at the Gelvandale Grounds, so we need to finish before it gets dark, but everything else is running smoothly, and we hope to have Daine Klate here on Friday.
“Klate is one of our ex-members who came through the ranks.
“This tournament and this club have produced national players like Elrio van Heerden, who is currently the Madibaz coach at Nelson Mandela University.
“He played for Bafana Bafana and overseas, and also the current Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Kaylin Swarts, who started her career here, and Denwin Farmer.
“All these players that I have mentioned were members of this club.
“So, there is a lot of talent here, but it’s just a pity that no scouts are coming to see what we have on offer, and we are doing all of this without a sponsor to make the tournament more exciting.
“The only sponsor we have right now is Tiger Brands, which we really appreciate.
“In future, we would like the tournament to grow in such a way that it will be the tournament for juniors in the country, and we would like a corporate sponsor to come on board.
“And also, for a few scouts to come down and look for talent.
“On Friday, we will start with the U7s and U9s from 8am.
“Daine Klate is sponsoring the player-of-the-tournament trophy that they take home, which he will hand out himself,” Reid said.
The Herald
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