Football: Rovers tourney platform for pedigree

2015 CHAMPIONS: Birkenhead United celebrate winning last year's Lotto Under-19 Youth Tournament at Park Island, Napier. PHOTO/FILE

Some of the best football matches in Hawke's Bay, arguably, have come in the finals of the annual under-19 youth tournament in Napier.

The Napier City Rovers-organised Lotto-sponsored tourney kicking off from 9am today at Park Island will be no different.

The hosts are again the only Bay flagbearers in the main draw in group B with Glenfield Rovers, Manurewa, Petone, Stop Out and Waitakere City.

"As far as I know, NCR has one of, if not, the youngest team in the competition with six 15-year-olds and a young ex-Bay boy travelling down from Auckland to play," says Napier club liaison officer Teri Dorrin of Aaron Parry.

Stu James is coaching the Blues while Heath Caldwell is manager.

The tournament will stage more than 130 games over three days with the main draw semifinals, at 9.30am, and the final, at 12.30pm, moving to Bluewater Stadium on Monday.

The pool games will be 25 minutes each way and the final 30 minutes. The quarterfinals tomorrow from 3.30pm will round off pool play.

Birkenhead United are defending champions after the Paul Hobson-coached side pipped Neil Emblem's Western Springs 1-0 in a final last year that threatened to go into extra time.

It was Birkenhead's second consecutive tourney crown.

In the all-Auckland satellite final last October, Manurewa beat Forrest Hill Milford 5-4 in penalties after a scoreless hour-long regulation time. Both sides gained promotion to the main draw this year.

The tourney has provided a platform for some young talent to gain international reputations.

Leeds United player Chris Wood and Wellington Phoenix's latest signing, Kosta Barbarouses, as well as former Napier-born All Whites goalkeeper Mark Paston and midfielder Chris Jackson are among the pedigree players who have graduated from the Park Island tourney.

TOURNEY DETAILS

All group stage matches will be played over 25-minute halves:

MAIN DRAW

■ Group A: East Coast Bays, Ellerslie, Hamilton Wanderers, Miramar Rangers, Upper Hutt City, Western Springs.

■ Group B: Glenfield Rovers, Manurewa, Napier City Rovers, Petone, Stop Out, Waitakere City.

■ Group C: Fencibles, Forrest Hill Milford, Lower Hutt City, Oratia Utd, Waterside Karori, Wellington Olympic.

■ Group D: Bay Olympic, Birkenhead Utd, Cashmere Technical, Island Bay Utd, Tawa, Three Kings.

SATELLITE DRAW

■ Group E: Bucklands Beach, Cambridge, Metro FC, Napier Marist, North Wellington, Tauranga College.

■ Group F: Albany Utd, FC Twenty 11, FFS Youth, Kapiti Coast Utd, Takapuna, Taupo.

■ Group G: Franklin Utd, Matamata Swifts, Onehunga Sports, Port Hill Utd, Wainuiomata.

■ Group H: Hibiscus Coast, Melville Utd, Papakura City, Tauranga City Utd, Whanganui Athletic.

ROVERS' FIXTURES

Today
■ 10am: v Petone, pitch 3.

■ 1pm: v Stop Out, pitch 4.

■ 4pm: Waitakere City, pitch 4.

Tomorrow
■ 9.30am: v Glenfield Rovers, pitch 3.

■ 12.30pm: v Manurewa, pitch 3.

■ Quarterfinals: 3.30pm.

Monday
■ 9am: Semifinals, pitch 3 & 4.
■ 12.30pm: Final, Bluewater Stadium (30-minute halves).