Woolf in Cup row defence

FOOTBALL DAVID Woolf has defended the Peter Morrison Trophy overhaul after branding the changes as a ‘practical decision.’

The MSFL chairman hit back at South Manchester Sports Club chairman Jonny Davis, who dubbed members of the National Football Committee as “weak”.

Davis spoke of his frustration at learning the competition, nicknamed The Jewish FA Cup, would be reverting back to its original format from this coming season.

But Woolf, in a statement to the JC, says Davis’s claims in these pages were unfair and unwarranted.

He said: “Davis is entitled to his opinion, but he should also check his facts which are totally wrong.

“The northern representative, Ian Selwyn, was kept in the loop at all times and in fact there was a conference call with Ian at the AGM prior to the decision being voted. “He understood the reasons for the change back and went along with this.

“To say the organising committee is weak is unfair. In fact at last year’s AGM we voted to continue the new format for a second season to give it another go in the hope that the problems of the first season was a one off and that this was the way forward for the competition.

“However there were again teams that were unable to travel for a variety of reasons and it was considered to be in the best interests of competition to revert back to the old format. This was not a weak decision, but a practical one by the committee taking into account the wider good of the competition.”

BOCA Jewniors have withdrawn from the MGBSFL due to a shortage of players.

Their place in Division Two has gone to Real Hendon, who drop back down a division, meaning the top-flight will now have 10 teams, Division One 11 and Division Two 12.

This was not a weak decision, but it was practical