Fair Play: Queen City's bash and dream
I’VE never seen a bunch of guys lose by three goals in a football match yet still have so much fun.
Then again, I’ve never been to a Queen City United Christmas party.
Last Tuesday, I attended Queen City United’s annual bash—and saw the (annual?) bashing Team B got from Team A.
Team B lost, 4-1, last Tuesday. Last year, they lost by a bigger margin.
But after the match, they walked around as if they’ve just won the World Cup.
I guess it helps a lot if you lose to fellow club members.
Team B’s Raffy Musni was the emcee during the post-game affairs and he took it is a chance to throw barbs at the others.
Even their players in the Men’s League weren’t spared—ripping them off for their no-show during practices.
Had a Fifa representative been invited to the game, he would have cried at how the rules of the game was bent.
But he’d leave the venue with a bum stomach—from all the food, beer and laughter.
Sure a red card was shown, but it was by a Team A player against his Team B counterpart.
There was pushing, and shoving, and Henryesque moves.
But all had so much fun.
They also had a unique post-match activity.
Prizes were hung from the goal posts—from socks, to rice cookers, to electric fans and gas stoves.
You hit one, you bring it home.
Surprisingly, I brought an Italian jersey home—thank God it wasn’t France’s.
Some got close to bringing home Ricky Dakay’s water tank, but after a few rounds of kicks—almost everybody got to bring home a prize.
That “shoot-a-prize” activity was such a hit I suggested to Sir Ricky to adopt it in their football tournament next summer, to egg on the fans during the half-time break of the main game of the day.
I’m sure, like last Tuesday, fans will be lining up for a chance to bring home a prize.
The party wasn’t only about fun and games, though.
It was the chance for the club to thank each member for their success this year. It was also a chance to hobnob with guests as even Yamato and Hayato Ayabe and Mitsu Tsunakiri of Crazy Horse joined in the fun.
Francis Ramirez, who saw four goals get past him in the game, was there too, along with Coach Mario Ceniza, who wisely said he’s already accepted that he’s better off off-field, than on it.
Aside from hosting the 10th edition of the Inter Club next year, Queen City will also be prepping up for a bigger project—establishing a football field for Canduman FC.
The club has identified a field in Consolacion for the project and Ricky Dakay is willing to spend for the field’s construction, just to give Canduman a field they can call
their own.
QCU is only hoping that Canduman FC will be allowed to use the field for five years not to recoup any investment but to, at least, make it all worthwhile.
Canduman is one of the best clubs in Cebu, and has a grassroots development program that rivals that of any other club.
Yet since it started some five years ago, the club still practices in a shit-filled field, that doubles as a basketball court.
Queen City United hopes to change that.
Then again, I’ve never been to a Queen City United Christmas party.
Last Tuesday, I attended Queen City United’s annual bash—and saw the (annual?) bashing Team B got from Team A.
Team B lost, 4-1, last Tuesday. Last year, they lost by a bigger margin.
But after the match, they walked around as if they’ve just won the World Cup.
I guess it helps a lot if you lose to fellow club members.
Team B’s Raffy Musni was the emcee during the post-game affairs and he took it is a chance to throw barbs at the others.
Even their players in the Men’s League weren’t spared—ripping them off for their no-show during practices.
Had a Fifa representative been invited to the game, he would have cried at how the rules of the game was bent.
But he’d leave the venue with a bum stomach—from all the food, beer and laughter.
Sure a red card was shown, but it was by a Team A player against his Team B counterpart.
There was pushing, and shoving, and Henryesque moves.
But all had so much fun.
They also had a unique post-match activity.
Prizes were hung from the goal posts—from socks, to rice cookers, to electric fans and gas stoves.
You hit one, you bring it home.
Surprisingly, I brought an Italian jersey home—thank God it wasn’t France’s.
Some got close to bringing home Ricky Dakay’s water tank, but after a few rounds of kicks—almost everybody got to bring home a prize.
That “shoot-a-prize” activity was such a hit I suggested to Sir Ricky to adopt it in their football tournament next summer, to egg on the fans during the half-time break of the main game of the day.
I’m sure, like last Tuesday, fans will be lining up for a chance to bring home a prize.
The party wasn’t only about fun and games, though.
It was the chance for the club to thank each member for their success this year. It was also a chance to hobnob with guests as even Yamato and Hayato Ayabe and Mitsu Tsunakiri of Crazy Horse joined in the fun.
Francis Ramirez, who saw four goals get past him in the game, was there too, along with Coach Mario Ceniza, who wisely said he’s already accepted that he’s better off off-field, than on it.
Aside from hosting the 10th edition of the Inter Club next year, Queen City will also be prepping up for a bigger project—establishing a football field for Canduman FC.
The club has identified a field in Consolacion for the project and Ricky Dakay is willing to spend for the field’s construction, just to give Canduman a field they can call
their own.
QCU is only hoping that Canduman FC will be allowed to use the field for five years not to recoup any investment but to, at least, make it all worthwhile.
Canduman is one of the best clubs in Cebu, and has a grassroots development program that rivals that of any other club.
Yet since it started some five years ago, the club still practices in a shit-filled field, that doubles as a basketball court.
Queen City United hopes to change that.
Comments
I mean how nice what QCU would make a changed for the poor boys of Canduman.