Night belongs to the shining lights
EAST London Central Local Football Association celebrated 102 years of North End football existence and paid tribute to past football greats when it hosted the second edition of its North End Football Legends gala dinner on Saturday evening at the Buffalo Park Presidential Suite.
It was a glittering ceremony, well attended by the association’s affiliated club members, past regional football legends, special guests and its sponsors.
The Eastern Cape Director of Human Settlement, Gaster Sharpley was the guest speaker, touching on humility and integrity as values that are key in shaping community ambassadors and sports legends.
Sharpley is also the founding director and chairman of the Peggy Nesta Foundation, a non-profit organisation that serves the needs of the local community of East London.
The theme for the evening was South African Soccer Federation Provincial Champions 1979-1981. It was then that the North End-based Border Soccer Board captured the South African Soccer Federation Provincial trophy three years in a row.
Four of those squad members were honoured. Dan Jekels (ex-Merchants, Border Football and SA Federation squad manager), Geoffrey Gamiet (ex-Saints captain, East London United Professional side, Border and SA Federation captain and Border Soccer squad manager), Cedric Timothy (ex-Star of India captain and Border Soccer squad vice-captain), Laden Gamiet (ex-Saints, East London United professional side, Border and SA Federation player and Border Soccer squad coach) were the members of that 1979-’81 dream squad honoured.
Carlo Meyers (ex-Young Parks, Merchants, Border Soccer Board and SA Federation player, and the former president of North End Football Association) and Gavin Moonieyan (exBluebells, Border Soccer and SA Federation player, Border Soccer squad manager and vice-president of Border Soccer Board) were also honoured with lifetime achievement awards for their contributions.
● The East London Central Premier league title contenders were ruthless in defeating their opponents over the weekend at the North End stadium, bar second- placed Seagulls, who drew 1-1 to a 10-man Buffalo City Sports Academy side.
Premier league table-toppers Riverside thumped Saints 6-0. Defending champions Swaraj thrashed Atlantic Spurs 7-1, but it came at a price after their goalscorer Dillon Block was sent off in the second half for retaliation. Third-placed Star of India disposed of Conquerors 6-0.
Napoli eased their relegation fears when they beat Brothers of Peace 6-3, and Pride of India recorded a 4-1 win over Parkside United.
Today, Real Dukashe face Riverside U20 at 1.30pm at the North End Stadium in a First Division league fixture, and Napoli meet Seagulls at 3pm in a premier league encounter. — DDC