Rivals in duel for soccer honours
ARGUABLY the state’s greatest regional rivalry played out again at Stratford Football Club, when Cairns’ best junior soccer talent hosted Townsville’s finest youngsters in the Battle of the North last weekend.
The tournament, which showcased the region’s best young footballers from ages 6-14, was a joint effort between Cairns’ Jamie Gosling Football Academy (JGFA) and Townsville’s Gareth Edds Soccer Academy (GESA).
More than 150 players and 20 teams competed in the sixa-side competition across the three age groups – Under 8/9, Under 10/11 and Under 13/14.
GESA teams won the Under 8/9s and the Under 10/11s competitions, but JGFA’s hometown advantage was enough for them to take out the Under 13/14s and prevent a tournament sweep from their southern counterparts.
Gosling said the tournament – the third of its kind after previous competitions in Cairns in February and Townsville in April – provided an exciting opportunity for local junior soccer players to test themselves against the best.
“I am very proud and excited that our academies could come together again for this tournament,” he said.
“(Gareth and I) share the same views and philosophies on football development in children, and are both very passionate about what we do.
“I think these games and the future tournaments we have planned add a new dimension to the academy, as well as creating more pathways and opportunities for our young football players in Far North Queensland.
He said he was thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity for junior football players in Cairns.
“Our mission is to develop these young players with extra specialist coaching for the ultimate benefit of their local clubs and Far North Queensland football in general,” he said.
“We want to develop them as individuals, and ultimately strengthen junior soccer in the region.”
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