GFF teams up with Temptation/GT Promotions for historic game in England

Jul 29, 2010 Sports

GFF vice President Franklin Wilson (right) makes a point at yesterday’s press conference which was shared with Director of Temptation Promotion/GT Promotions Faizal Khan.

Guyana All Stars X1 to battle Cray Wanderers FC on Aug. 8

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has teamed up with Temptation/GT Promotion for the hosting of a historic International exhibition game featuring the GFF All Stars against Cray Wanderers FC on Sunday August 8, 2010 at the Dulwich Hamlet Football Club, Champion Hill Stadium, London, England.
Cray Wanderers, the 2nd oldest Football Team in the World and oldest Team in London will be hosting the historic game as part of their 150th Anniversary Celebrations. Guyanese midfielder Shawn Beveney (2008/09) played with the club before he took up a contract with T&T side Caledonia AIA.
According to Director of Temptation GT Promotions Faizal Khan at a press conference hosted at the GFF Headquarters Dadanawa Street, Section K Campbellville, the game has attracted some high powered media including Sky Sports among others and they have also invited football stars, special celebrity guests as well as Pro Football Scouts.
“We have gone the extra mile to create a real Guyanese atmosphere since we are aiming to pack the Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, Dog Kennel Hill, London, SE22 8BD to capacity. There will be steel pan music as well as other Guyanese entertainment. We will also be having an after party where the players will get an opportunity to mingle with the public.”
“This game gives Guyana the chance to follow in the footsteps of Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica who played games in the UK so as to look at UK based players who would bolster Caribbean and World Cup squads.”
Khan also stressed that this game will give the Guyanese community in London something to be proud of and he is urging all in Guyana to tell all their friends and family in England about this event.
“We have a facebook group Guyana Allstars Football or more information can be found at www.gtpromotion.com or by calling 0208 278 57 56.”
GFF Vice President Franklin Wilson who shared yesterday’s press conference with Khan lauded Temptation GT Promotions for the initiative while stating that the Governing body is looking forward to a long term relationship that will see the strengthening of ties with Cray Wanderers.
“We would like to see this relationship growing to a level where we will see exchange programmes for our players, coaches and administrators since we believe that we can learn from the vast knowledge base of Cray Wanders, now 150 years old.”
“This is a great opportunity for the selected players to go there and really give of their best. The forward thrust no doubt is to invest in our youth and while only five locally based players are going, this is just the beginning of what can become an annual fixture where players can look forward to this kind of exposure.”
Guyanese players based in the USA, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and the UK will make up the GFF All Stars. The non UK players will begin arrive in London from Thursday August 5 and will link up with the other Guyanese travelling players and delegation. The London based players will join the overseas players a day or two before the match for training and bonding according to Khan and will all leave London Monday August 9.
The GFF All Stars will come from Goalkeepers – Jason Lloyd and Ronson Williams. Defenders – JP Rodrigues, Brion Baker, Chris Bourne, Walter Moore, Jake Newton, Kyle Marinda and Travis Jones. Midfielders – Alani Mounter, Chris Nurse, Ricky Shakes, Sean Cameron, Kabir Khan, Konata Manning, Eon Allayne, Glenorvan Edmonds and Mustapha Haqq. Forwards – Clive Andries, Gregory Richardson, Fabian Brown, Shawn Beveney and Scott Nurse.
The local players selected are Williams, Alleyne, Edmonds, Andries and Haqq.
Cray Wanderers FC was founded in 1860 and holds the distinction of being the second oldest football club in the world. (Sheffield, in 1857, is the oldest club. Notts County, founded 1862, is the oldest Football League club).
Cray Wanderers were a strong force in senior county football at the turn of the century. After being Kent Junior Cup semi-finalists and finalists in 1890/91 and 1891/92 they entered the first ever FA Amateur Cup competition in 1893/94. They had a spell as a professional club between 1895 and 1907. They were a nursery club for Woolwich Arsenal during part of this period. They were one of the founder members of the Kent League in 1894/95, and they won the championship in 1901/02. Other honours included Southern Suburban League champions in 1898/99, West Kent League champions in 1903/04, and Kent Senior Cup runners-up in 1899/1900. Also worth a mention is Cray reaching the final of the Sevenoaks Charity Cup in 1895/96.
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Essex sign all-rounder Dwayne Bravo for T20 finals

Dwayne Bravo

Essex have signed West Indies international Dwayne Bravo for their t20 squad ahead of finals day.
The Trinidadian has taken 19 wickets and scored 344 runs in 22 Twenty20 internationals.
The 26-year-old will look to fill the gap left by injured all-rounders Graham Napier and Ryan ten Doeschate.
However Essex are also hoping ten Doeschate will have recovered from a calf tear in time to play in the campaign finale at the Rose Bowl.
Ten Doeschate told BBC Essex: “The medical staff have earmarked 14 August, which is finals day, so if all goes well that’ll be when I play again.”
Head coach Paul Grayson told the club’s website: “We see Dwayne as a like-for-like replacement for Scott Styris. “We feel we are short of another all-rounder with injuries to Napier and ‘Tendo’, and Dwayne is a top class player who we hope can make a major impact on finals day.”