Season to end with weekend of cup finals

FOOTBALL

SENIOR football in Gisborne will finish for the season on Sunday, September 19, with the final of the Braybrook Cup.

Women’s teams Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina and Bohemians will play the decider on the Childers Road Reserve No.1 pitch at 10.30am.

The day before, two men’s cup competitions will be decided, also on Childers Road Reserve No.1.

At 12 midday on Saturday, September 18, Gizzy Bobcat Services Thistle will play Heavy Equipment Services Gisborne United Thirds in the final of the Poverty Bay Cup, contested by Eastern League third division teams.

At 3pm, 1st Class Decorators Wainui Salty Dogs will play Thistle Vintage in the final of the Chris Moore Cup, contested by Eastern League second division teams.

Kick-off times of the two Saturday finals are three hours apart “to allow more time between games to manage the safety of players, officials and spectators”, says Central Football Poverty Bay operations manager Fletcher Stewart-Hill.

He says teams should be able to use district council-controlled grounds for training as soon the council approves Central Football’s safety plan for the use of facilities.

The Bailey Cup for Eastern League first division teams was decided before lockdown. Sunshine Brewing Wainui Sharks completed the league and cup double by defeating HES United in the final.

HES Gisborne United won the Pacific Premiership, a league in which all the other teams come from Hawke’s Bay.

In the Central Federation League, Waikanae Beach TOP10 Gisborne Thistle must wait for the result of a game between Massey University and Levin this Saturday before they know whether they finish fourth or fifth in the nine-team competition.

Thistle are fourth at the moment, but if Massey win by three goals or more they will draw level on points and go ahead on goal difference.

Stewart-Hill says no more primary school and superleague games will be played in Gisborne this season because of player safety concerns related to Covid-19.

On top of that, a lot of primary schools are already moving on with their sports calendar, he says.

Junior representative training and game days should be back up and running within the next week or so, once the council gives the go-ahead for the use of its facilities.

The next representative game days for Gisborne junior players are in Palmerston North on Saturday and Sunday, September 18 and 19.

Boys’ teams from under-12 to u17 level and girls’ u12 and u14 teams will take part.

Gisborne is scheduled to host game days on Saturday and Sunday, October 2 and 3, Stewart-Hill says.

Whether Nelson Park will be the venue depends on the requirements of the cricket competition.

“Plan B” would be to hold the games at Watson Park.