Army-Navy fight for football supremacy

Elmo reporting

The Blue Riband of football in Sri Lanka the Football Association Cup final between the two services teams - Army and the Navy will be played at the redeveloped Jayetilleke Park in Nawalapitiya, today.

It will be a ground breaking event, because this is the first time that this prestigious final will be played in far off Nawalapitiya. In the past Nawalapitiya produced some good soccerites who played for Greenlands SC, Red Eagle SC, Evening Stars and Heron SC.

In the good old days my aunt lived in Nawalapitiya and during our school holidays we go to Nawalapitiya. My cousins Tony, Donald and Noel Ambrose played for those clubs and they used to take me to watch the matches being played. Excelled - sub head.

Those clubs did not lack for want of talent and Donald told me that some of the names he could remember who excelled for clubs there are - Arthur Perera, Muharjeen, Badurdeen, Hamza, Samusudeen and Jabir. 'Had they continued in the game they had the talent to make it to the national team', said Donald.

Incidentally Tony's son Jerome continued in his father's footsteps and captained St.Joseph's College, Colombo to the FA Cup final and in England the home of football, when the English FA Cup final is played in Wembly the King and Queen. grace the occasion, because the Cup final was held in high esteem.

At the helm - sub head

The Football Federation of Sri Lanka with MP Sarath Weerasekera at the helm and with the irrepressible Vernon Manila Fernando showing him how,must be congratulated for taking the final to Nawalapitiya which is the strong hold of Minister of Sport Mahindananda Aluthgamagae and where football was a craze in the good old days. The Minister has started the Up Country Lions rugby team and he will earn the accolades of footballers and football fans there if he could get the game back to its good old days.

vIn Aluthgamage's endeavour to get football going in Nawlapitiya he will do well to team up with Manilal Fernando who has the expertise and the knowhow. Attorney at Law Fernando is much respected having been Vice President of the Asian Football Confederation, served on the Legal Committee of FIFA and is now in the Executive Committee of FIFA. Prestigious posts - sub head. These are prestigious posts never before held by Sri Lankans. He also serves on FIFA's Player Status Committee and is a member of the FIFA World Cup Organising Committee. Little wonder then that the disgruntled and those who know nothing of the game trying to besmirch his god name. To the final on Saturday and the two teams attempting to engrave their names on the glittering Cup are Army and the Navy.

After a long time, it is interesting to note that popular club teams such as Saunders, Renown and Ratnam are not in the fray. Attacking football - sub head. However Army and Navy have made it to the final playing attacking football in knocking out several strong teams and football fans who flock to the Jayetilleke Stadium will be served with some exciting football.

The Navy team can take inspiration from their ruggerites led by the Rajapaksa brothers Namal, Yoshitha and Roshitha who are performing magnificently in the rugger scene and add more laurels by winning the FA Cup final.