Islands Cup Open Thread

[Flex]

Latapy, ‘ Gally’ to coach Franchise teams in Islands Cup Open.
By Shaun Fuentes (Guardian).

Former national team coaches and players Russell Latapy and Everald “Gally” Cummings are set to coach two of the teams in the 2017 Islands Cup Open which will feature five franchise teams from five different Caribbean nations.

Latapy is set to lead the FC Barbados Challengers while Cummings is expected to head the Trinbago Oilers FC with FC Combine Islands, Suriname Gladiators FC and Jamaica Ruffnecks FC all competing for the title.

Among the marquee former players who are likely to serve as head coaches include John Barnes Falcao, Robert Warzycha, Ricky Hill, Sebastian Lazaroni and Clarence Seedorf.

And the marquee players negotiations are currently taking place with include Rivaldo, Florent Malouda. Mohamed Sissoko, Ronaldinho and Djibril Cisse. The Islands Cup shall play three (3) different rounds and a play offs for the Championship in the three (3) month period, in a Winner-take-all concept in keeping with an action-packed championship format.

An annual Islands Cup Open cash prize totalling Three Million dollars ($3,000,000) USD for the first four (4) seasons, according to the organisers Caribbean Football Thrust Limited of which Trinidadian Chris Anderson is the chairman.

Latapy commented, saying, “I am delighted to be part of an extraordinary initiative such as this. I have played professional football for over 20 years and have worked, and played alongside and against some especially talented players such as Dwight Yorke, Sir Bobby Robson, Jose Mourinho and many other successful International players.

“Football is a sport that brings people together, and especially in the Caribbean more now than ever there is a dire need for more role models and support for young people,” Latapy said.

The Islands Open Cup is a charitable event to launch our Caribbean “KICK POVERTY OUT” campaign and introduce the region to an exciting sports entertainment concept developed by Caribbean Football Trust Ltd (CFTL). The first year of the Islands Open Cup will kick off as a promotional season to be played between July 6th through 16th.

[Sam]

They catch Gally now.

[Deeks]

This is a fete match(over 40 ) league? I thought CFU was have CFU league.?

[asylumseeker]

This is a fete match(over 40 ) league? I thought CFU was have CFU league.?

The "non-famous" players are not intended to be over 40 or even over 35.

CFU heads likely discussed this event at their recent gathering. There isn't a universally warm welcome for the initiative based on factors better left unstated until perhaps such time as a policy statement is issued from on high. I expect the silence to break in the coming weeks.

More information available here (where the Media Kit is worth a look):

https://thehomeofcaribbeanfootball.com/2017/04/11/islands-cup-open-professional-football-coming-to-the-caribbean/amp/

[asylumseeker]

As suggested in my previous post, finally an official comment. This one from president of the Barbados Football Association:

“We have made a decision that we are not going to sanction [the tournament],” BFA president Randy Harris said in an exclusive interview with MIDWEEK SPORT yesterday. “Any professional competition like that has to be sanctioned by CONCACAF and the CFU (Caribbean Football Union), and I have not seen anything to indicate that they were applied to and they have been given the necessary permission.”

See more at: http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/96396/bfa-won-sanction-islands-cup#sthash.g7q0N2xf.dpuf

Watch de ride.

[davyjenny1]

Nationnews
‘No need’ for FIFA sanction

http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/96518/-fifa-sanction

THE Islands Cup Open 2017 does not need to be sanctioned by CONCACAF, FIFA or the Caribbean Football
This was the declaration made by chairman of the tournament, Chris Anderson, during an exclusive interview with the SATURDAY SUN.
Anderson was responding to comments made by Barbados Football Association (BFA) president Randy Harris, who earlier this week stated they would not sanction the tournament. He further noted he had not seen correspondence to indicate permission was being sought from CONCACAF or the CFU to host the tournament which runs from July 6 to 16.
“In respect to what Randy said, at this time we have no request from FIFA and CONCACAF to make no applications on what we are doing, as it does not need any sanctioning from either body. It is clearly stated that what we are doing is a scratch tournament. We are not aware of any rule in FIFA that omits us from hosting those games, so what Mr Harris is saying is news to us. It is also news to the other federation heads who have already given us their sanction, and who also come from the same body that he comes from in CFU.
- See more at: http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/96518/-fifa-sanction#sthash.QPd5XwYL.dpuf