ExAston Villa star to open turf
FORMER Aston Villa and Colombian star Juan Pablo Angel is not going to be just cutting the ribbon when he visits Dunedin next weekend.
The forward will be visiting New Zealand for the first time after being selected from the Fifa Legends Programme to cut the ribbon on Football South’s new artificial turf at Logan Park next Saturday
Fifa put some money into the turf and wished to be involved in the official opening.
Angel will arrive in Dunedin next Thursday and begin his official engagements the following day.
He will visit various Dunedin sights and have a small session with the Southern United Academy where the Alicensed qualified coach will chat to some of Otago’s most promising youth players.
There will be a blacktie dinner at The Savoy, hosted by Football South.
A silent auction will take place, for items including signed shirts from Aston Villa, Colombia, Southern United and the Football Ferns.
The aim of the dinner is to raise as much money as possible for the Football South Hardship Fund which helps children from financially troubled families play the game.
The turf will be officially opened next Saturday as part of a funfilled day which will begin with a noncompetitive football festival for children aged from 6 to 10. Teams will be rotated round for an hour.
Just before the festival gets under way, Angel and Football South chief executive Chris Wright will open the stateoftheart Logan Park artificial turf. The $4 million project has been backed by various groups and agencies.
Former All Whites Graham Marshall and Andy Boyens will also be at the opening.
Just after the festival the Southern United men’s team will play its opening game of the national premiership against Tasman United on the turf.