World Footy News

The USAFL today announced the cancellation of the annual East-West tournament that was scheduled for July 1st in Sarasota, Florida. The USAFL board earlier this year resolved to not have a repeat of 2005 where the league incurred expenses of $2700 and no return income for the event. Fifty player registrations were received for the event but when the league called for a $100 deposit (refundable at the event) only twenty-five responses were received. Given the response the league had no choice but to cancel the event with the likelihood that insufficient numbers would be available for a quality match, and that the league may make a loss on it.

The cancellation of the event will hamper the Revolution squad’s preparation for the 2008 International Cup. The East West event is used to scout and develop the team at one of the two weekends a year that the coaching panel can see the majority of the potential candidates in action. We have been told by clubs in the past that some of their players have been overlooked for representative honours and one less chance to be seen by selectors will not help their cause.

It will no doubt be a further blow to footy in Florida after they were forced to withdraw from the EAFL this year and have only had limited local matches this year. A large number of hours of organising this event had already been put in by local Redbacks officials. If the event was well run and received Florida were to be offered hosting of this event again in 2007. Without a chance to prove themselves in 2006 there will be some serious thought put into whether the location was a factor in the poor serious interest in this year’s event.