There are 11-a-side tournaments — albeit the cup kind — for the age groups mentioned in the report, the one about the football festival. Sorry, that kind of got left off in lieu of a certain team’s boycott.

As to the U17 girl’s team, any one can still join.

Which reminds me, this is why precisely, the CebuFA needs to have their own website, so issues and questions raised can be answered directly. Instead of me having to answer it for them, hereby reinforcing the belief, which someone has expressed to a fellow reporter, that I am in their payroll.

Frankly folks, if I am to charge, the way Manila reporters charge, for football’s publicity here in Cebu, the only money left for CebuFA won’t be enough to buy one single decent stud.

Musings

Here’s a weird thought I had after the World Cup finals.

Fans = football league = success.

Without the fans, any league what so ever will go the way of the dodo.

But, what, I ask, kind of fan will stick to his team if the team is a.) known for Manny Pacquiasque moves, b.) a prima donna c.) cheats or d.) you-won’t-let-us-play-then-we-will-no-longer-join-any-of-your-tournaments kind of team?

This year’s Aboitiz Men’s League will have the luxury (and I do mean every essence of the word) of not having its defending champion back.

So I say, ditch the Men’s League.

The Association will save time, money and a whole bunch of headache-pills for that.

What, I say, should we put up in place of the Men’s League?

A school-based league. (Plus the other clubs who are not associated with any schools like FC Inter Cebu, San Roque FC)

A school league –- or more precisely – a high school league — would have been great, imagine the rivalry between schools, spilling over the football field – minus the Manny Pacquiao-wannabes of course.

Most of the schools have football fields – a home and away format could be doable.

Those who make the most noise in Cebu are the men’s team, and not one of them has even won a national crown. Look at our youth teams, we have a Palarong Pambansa champion, various football festivals champions, and the like.

The talent is there.

So much effort and money is wasted on the Men’s League – money and effort that could (and should) be better utilized for better football – the youth.

A high school footballer sacrifices more than his college counterpart and they are more disciplined. Giving them a league of their own would be a reward to their sacrifice and discipline.

And one more thing, everybody in Philippine football is saying that the youth is the future, then why not start now and give that future a toehold?

WATCHING the World Cup finals, at 2 a.m., drunk, tired and stressed out was an experience.

Knowing the circumstances about the World Cup finals, is sadly, an experience in itself.

I was at Badgers, again, though I was disappointed with their P150 entrance policy, I’ve grudgingly accepted it – after all, they have a business to run.

But, I still don’t agree how the place, and the other one, came out of nowhere and started charging entrance fees.

However, after learning of how one group was going to be “robbed” blind by a certain cable company, I’ve learned to sympathize with the clubs – a bit.

There was a planned free viewing at the Ayala Entertainment Area for the finals, which could have brought hundreds of fans together, but the good folks at our ‘favorite cable company’ asked for P20,000.

From reports of other folks who went to other venues, the places were packed.

And still they insist there is no market for football?

Its nice when your team is winning, and too sad when they are losing

Its nice when your team is winning, and too sad when they are losing

Here’s a picture of the first day of the FC Inter Cebu Inter League

There was once a place called Shallows
They showed the World Cup for the fellas
But when Brazil played
They asked to be paid
And everybody fled

I’ve had it with this greedy establishments. ____ is another place I will never go back to — not in a million years — not even if Aubrey Miles will dance naked in the bar.

The day before — for me — it was the best place to be in town. Good atmosphere, good place, affordable beer, great viewing of the world cup. And curiously, most of the guys I saw there, were the same guys who used to be regulars at an uptown bar — before that certain bar charged an entrance fee.

The next day, while the scores of fans who went there were texting and informing their friends to come to _____ for the anticipated England-Portugal, and Brazil-France matches, they blindsided everybody and asked for another fee.

P150, entrance fee.

“You will get a free beer sir,” the attendant said.

So the text brigade began again, just as it did before the Germany-Argentina game the previous night when our previous joint also charged the same fee.

“____ is charging a fee, what’s Plan B? Where do we go?” was the common cry that night.

I was waiting outside ______, waiting for friends, while watching the inverted screen from outside and I saw people wearing jerseys also waiting outside and common faces in World Cup viewing, grimacing once they see the “P150 entrance fee sign.”

Jeez, so we went to Kukuk’s Nest, it’s a smaller place, they got one small TV, but boy they got a better atmosphere and better crowd.

And before these establishments think twice about “cheapskate fans.”

Here’s a thought. If most of the people watching your World Cup PPV are those who seems to have just come from the prom — not the rabid jersey wearing kind — you have a problem.

And you say they pay more? Blah! The fans, the players, most of whom by the way are the young professionals these days,order only one thing but order it frequently — beer.

Besides, majority of the Filipino fans root for Brazil and England, not that the two teams are out, I hope you will have karma and that your place will be ‘patronized.’

And besides, we all thought that after the World Cup, ____ and ____ is a nice place to hang out and to go back to.

Not anymore.

I ain’t going back there no more.

So fellas, let’s show how we ‘appreciate moves’ like this.

The best places in town to view the World Cup, are so far, Kukuk’s, the WineShop, Windsor and a certain spanish bar in Mango.

What’s your thoughts?