Club to host 50th birthday tourney
“Not many clubs have been around for 50 years. We want to uplift the community.”
The Benoni Northerns Football Club (BNFC) will celebrate its 50th birthday with an anniversary tournament at the Northerns fields on March 9 and 10.
Organised by Justin dos Santos, the competition will highlight the club’s achievements throughout the years and honour club legends and its founders.
“Not many clubs have been around for 50 years. We want to uplift the community. It’s about getting the children and their parents out. We want to give the children some game time,” said Dos Santos.
The tournament will open with the U7 to U9 age groups on March 9, and the U11s to U15s will take to the field the next day. The event will have two streams playing round-robin matches, and the top teams will advance to the knockouts.
Dos Santos explained this will be the first tournament hosted by the club in 25 years. He said this is his way of giving back to a club for its immense contribution to his life.
“They’ve helped me so much,” he said.
“Children in this town are used to playing in tournaments out of town. We are giving them an opportunity to play at home. It’s a big opportunity for the community. The hype of having the tournament in this town is important.”
Dos Santos said many local clubs have already shown interest in the competition, adding that he expects more to enter. Clubs have until March 3 to enter.
He stated they are looking at inviting club legends who will play in a curtain-raiser during the tournament.
“We want to bring in the legends, the guys who started here and played in the PSL. We want them to come here and tell the children that they started here and went on to play professionally. This will motivate the players to strive for more,” said Dos Santos.
He said there will be special guests, an exhibition match, freestyle footballers, food and music, adding that there will be a children’s fun zone with jumping castles, games and challenges.
Beginnings
The club was formed in 1975 by Benoni Northerns Sports Club (BNSC) life member Manny Ferreirinho, who played for a club in Boksburg after a friend suggested he start a football section at Northerns.
It was affiliated into the Eastern Transvaal Football Association in March 1975, and Ferreirinho was club chairperson for 13 years.
“I then went on to be a part of the Easterns football committee in 1976 and am still a member. I was compiling the fixtures for 40 years and referees’ appointments for the past 30 years,” said Ferreirinho.
Northerns has contributed immensely to the community and unearthed players like Rowen Fernandez and Lorenzo Gordinho. Fernandez won two PSL titles and earned 23 caps for Bafana Bafana.
For more info, contact Dos Santos on 082 610 6201 or events@bnfc.co.za
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