LATEST NEWS
A RECORD NUMBER OF LOCAL BUSINESSES JOIN SPONSORSHIP CONSORTIUM - 05.07.10
Once again the Guernsey FA has had a fantastic response from the local business community to its request to provide financial support to the Festival. Without this wonderful support, we would not be able to organise the event in the way that we do and offer the fabulous opportunities which we do to our local youngsters.
Despite the ongoing difficult financial climate, a record 30 different local businesses, in addition to headline sponsors The BWCI Group, have pledged support to enable us to once again attract four professional clubs to Guernsey.
The Guernsey FA is very grateful to all of the following sponsors for their generosity and support in joining its Sponsorship Consortium:-
Asset Risk Consultants, Aztec Group, Bachmann Group, Bucktrout & Co, Clydesdale Bank International, Collins Stewart Wealth Management, Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Heritage Group, HSBC Bank, Insurance Corporation, Island Coachways, JLT Insurance Management, KPMG Channel Islands, Leapfrog Recruitment Consultants, Lloyds TSB Offshore, NatWest, Network Direct, Northern Trust, Orion Insurance Management, Richmond Fiduciary Group, Rothschild, Saffery Champness, Skipton International, Sportingbet, Sports Guernsey, State Street Trustees, The Potting Shed Design & Advertising, Travel Solutions, Yorkshire Guernsey.
FESTIVAL DRAW MADE - 25.06.10
The Guernsey FA announced this year’s draw earlier today as follows:-
GROUP A - Everton, Fulham, GFA Centre of Excellence, Northerners, Rozel Rovers, St Clement, St Martin’s, St Peter, Tamarside Juniors, Vale Recreation
GROUP B - Braunton Wanderers, Glasgow Rangers, Grouville, Guernsey Rangers, Guernsey Rovers, Southampton, St Anne’s School, St Paul’s, Sylvans.
All of the fixtures are listed at www.guernseyminisoccer.com which will be updated with results over the course of the weekend.
19 CONFIRMED ENTRIES FOR FESTIVAL - 21.06.10
19 entries have been received by the Guernsey FA for its flagship close season minis tournament, The BWCI Guernsey Mini Soccer Festival, which will be held over the weekend of 24 and 25 July 2010. The full list of teams is:-
From England - Braunton Wanderers FC, Everton FC, Fulham FC, Southampton FC, Tamarside Juniors FC
From Scotland - Rangers FC
From Alderney - St Anne's School
From Jersey - Grouville FC, Rozel Rovers FC, St Clement SC, St Paul's FC, St Peter FC
From Guernsey - GFA Centre of Excellence, Guernsey Rangers FC, Guernsey Rovers AC, Northerners AC, St Martin's AC, Sylvans SC, Vale Recreation FC.
Three of these teams (Southampton, Tamarside Juniors and the GFA Centre of Excellence under 9’s) are entering the festival for the first time and we look forward to welcoming them next month.
SOUTHAMPTON AND RANGERS ENTER FESTIVAL - 25.04.10
The Guernsey FA announced today that Southampton will visit Guernsey in July to take part in the BWCI Guernsey Mini Soccer Festival for the first time. They will be joining Rangers from Scotland, who are returning for their third annual visit to the Festival, and under 9 teams from their academies will join fellow professional clubs Fulham and Everton in competing against the best of Guernsey and Jersey’s under 10 minis in this year’s festival.
2009 FINALISTS TO RETURN AGAIN - 31.03.10
The finalists in the 2009 BWCI Shield have each confirmed that they will be returning to Guernsey again this year to take part in the 2010 BWCI Guernsey Mini Soccer Festival.
Fulham and Everton, who last year fought out a goalless draw in the final before Fulham won the subsequent penalty shoot-out 4-3 to win the BWCI Shield at its first attempt, will once again be entering under 9 teams from their academies.
BWCI GROUP RENEWS HEADLINE SPONSORSHIP - 19.01.10
The Guernsey Football Association is delighted to announce that it has signed a new three year deal with The BWCI Group to headline the sponsorship of its annual mini soccer festival.
Local Channel Islands group BWCI first sponsored the hugely popular summer festival in 2007 and, having supported the summer event on a year to year basis for the last three years, has now committed a further five figure sum to it over the next three years.
The BWCI Guernsey Mini Soccer Festival 2010 will take place over the weekend of Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 July at
News of the tournament, which is open to under 10 minis teams from FA Charter Standard clubs in the
Diana Simon, BWCI Partner, added: “Although we continue to live through difficult economic times, The BWCI Group is well aware how much this event means to the local community and how much enjoyment the children get from playing against the academy teams and other visiting teams they would not otherwise play against. For these reasons, we are very pleased to be able to renew our sponsorship for a further three years and wish the GFA the very best of luck in continuing to organise such a superb and popular event.”
GFA Chairman Mark Le Tissier, is also very grateful to The BWCI Group for its continuing sponsorship. He said: “These are exciting times for local football with many positive initiatives underway. With this continued and generous sponsorship from BWCI together with the support we are fortunate to receive from other local businesses, the mini soccer festival will continue to play a key role in adding to the development of our local footballers, which we appreciate very much.”
ONLY THREE DAYS TO GO... - 15.07.09
ONLY THREE DAYS TO GO... - 15.07.09
There are now only three days to go before this year’s festival kicks off at 11am at Footes Lane and the Memorial Field with, in Group A, last year’s BWCI Shield winners Everton taking on Bels, Sylvans taking on Fulham, Guernsey Rangers playing last year’s BWCI Plate winners St Peter, and Rovers playing former Shield winners St Paul’s.
In Group B, the first games kick off at 11.20am will see former Shield winners the North taking on last year’s BWCI Shield runners-up Glasgow Rangers, former Plate winners First Tower United playing Portsmouth, St Clement playing Rozel Rovers, and former Plate winners St Martin’s taking on Finedon Victoria.
With all the preparation and effort which the players and coaches have put in recently, we know that they can’t wait to get started and, like them, we look forward to seeing you all on Saturday.
Entry is free and there is on-site catering…fingers crossed that the weather is kind to us!
OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY E-MOTION - 15.07.09
Once again, the Festival's official photographer, Les Perry from E-motion, will be taking official photographs this weekend and these will be available for purchase from next week at www.e-motion.me.uk using the password bwci31.
FESTIVAL WEBSITE GOES LIVE - 15.07.09
The Festival’s own website - www.guernseyminisoccer.com - is now live with not only details about the event but also a list of all competing teams together with their players and coaching staff, a list of fixtures and kick-off times and latest news. The site will be updated with results as they happen over the weekend to enable those who are not able to get to Footes Lane this weekend the chance to keep updated with the tournament’s progress.
The website has been developed by Quikpixel and designed by The Potting Shed Design & Advertising, a local
'LE GOD' ADDS ENDORSEMENT TO FESTIVAL - 06.07.09
'LE GOD' ADDS ENDORSEMENT TO FESTIVAL - 06.07.09
Guernsey, Southampton and England football legend Matt Le Tissier, who was back in the island recently to host an auction dinner organised by the Guernsey Football Association, has added his endorsement to the BWCI Guernsey Mini Soccer Festival.
Le Tissier, known affectionately by Saints fans as ‘Le God’, has been a regular visitor to the festival over the last 7 years and believes it is an excellent part of the GFA’s development plan for young players. He said, “I have been very impressed with this festival for several years now, the organisation is very professional and it provides great learning opportunities for both academy teams and junior clubs alike.”
‘Le God’ is the only Guernseyman to play for England at full international level and one of the most gifted players the country has ever produced. He spent all of his local playing days with Vale Recreation where he scored 169 goals for club teams during the 1984/85 season before signing as a professional for Southampton FC the following year and where he went on to score 209 goals in 540 first team appearances.
JOSÉ BAXTER - FROM GUERNSEY FESTIVAL TO INTERNATIONAL HONOURS AND THE PREMIER LEAGUE! - 06.07.09
Everton’s José Baxter, who played in our first Guernsey mini soccer festival in 2002 has this last year established himself in Everton’s first team squad, made his debut in the FA Premier League and gone on to gain further international honours.
17 year old Baxter has been at Everton since he was just 6 years old and joined the Everton first-team squad that toured Switzerland and America during the 2008 preseason… just two months after leaving school!
A player of immense natural talent, he can perform in midfield or attack and has represented England at every age group thus far, including captaining the Under-16s and Under-17s in the last two seasons.
He scored his first goal for the senior team when he equalised at Nottingham Forest in a friendly match in July 2008 and his substitute appearance against Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League on August 16, 2008, ensured that he broke James Vaughan's record as the club's youngest first-team player at just 16 years and 191 days old. He then became the youngest ever Everton player to start a game seven days later at West Brom.
Baxter remained in and around the first team squad for the remainder of last season and was an unused substitute at the 2009 FA Cup Final against Chelsea.
27 BUSINESSES JOIN SPONSORSHIP CONSORTIUM - 22.06.09
The Guernsey FA has had a fantastic response from the local business community to its request to provide financial support to the Festival. Despite the effects of the credit crunch, 27 different local businesses (in addition to headline sponsors the BWCI Group) have pledged support to the event enabling the Festival organisers to once again attract four professional clubs to Guernsey.
The Guernsey FA is very grateful to all of the following sponsors for their generous support in joining its Sponsorship Consortium:-
Ashton Barnes Tee, Asset Risk Consultants, Aztec Group, Bachmann Group, Bank Sarasin, Brewin Dolphin, Bucktrout & Co, Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Heritage Group, HSBC Bank, Intersport, Island Coachways, JLT Insurance Management, KPMG, Leapfrog Recruitment Consultants, NatWest, Northern Trust, Orion Insurance Management, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Rothschild, Saffery Champness, Skipton Guernsey, Sportingbet, Sports Guernsey, The Potting Shed, Uniglobe Island Travel.
FESTIVAL LAUNCHES FACEBOOK PAGE - 09.06.09
The official BWCI Guernsey Mini Soccer Festival Facebook Page is now live. As well as regular updates about the weekend festival, the page also carries photos from previous years’ tournaments and will be updated with match results as they happen.
If you’re already on the popular social networking site, simply search “The BWCI Guernsey Mini Soccer Festival” and “Become a Fan”. If not, registering is quick and easy at www.facebook.com.
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