THE BELEAGUERED Manchester Football Association (MFA) recently received a $360,000 boost for its Alpart Mining Venture (AMV) South Manchester League Division Two season.
The opening ceremony for the Division Two competition was held at the Pear Tree Community Centre on May 15 where the sponsorship was announced. That announcement brought the total sponsorship from AMV up to $1.09 million over the past three years.
Added to the sum of the league's sponsorship from the MFA will be another $40,000 to improve playing surfaces, bringing the total sum for the season to $400,000.
At the ceremony, the MFA also received a pledge that it would have AMV's assistance with the sustaining of a youth programme. MFA president Dale Spencer said the assistance from the AMV was in line with the ideas of his association.
"The pledge to help the youth programme ties in very well with what has been the thrust of the MFA and I have to give praises to AMV for the support that they have given to the development aspect of the football," Spencer said.
LAWS OF THE GAME
The programme is slated to provide an introduction to the laws of the game, dribbling, passing and shooting.
"The relationship between ourselves and the AMV is in its third year and we are pleased with their support of football in south Manchester," Spencer said.
"We expect this relationship to continue long into the future. With all the trouble that we've had with sponsorship, it is refreshing to see that the AMV have stuck with the MFA nonetheless," he said.
The league will start with 16 clubs divided into two zones. Zone A will see Swaby's Hope, River Bottom, Harmons, St. Toolis, Elliston, Mandeville United, Vision United and Spur Tree.
While Zone B will include Pear Tree, Inverness, Old England, Asia Strikers, Alligator Pond, Atlantic, Georges Valley and Sunshine Stars. These two zones will be playing for a top prize of $45,000. The second place team will receive $20,000, the third $15,000 and fourth $10,000. There will also be individual prizes for the most valuable player, the top scorer and the top goalkeeper. All of whom will receive $3,500 and vouchers from sporting goods stores.
