CONIFA World Football Cup 2018

[littlehampton]

 

HOT NEWS!!

 

It has just been announced on our official website that the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium has been chosen, as one of the venues to host matches for the Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) 2018 World Football Cup.

 

This is a great honour for our Club, and our Board members are to be congratulated for all their hard work behind the scenes, and success in submitting a winning bid, after facing stiff competition from other clubs in the Greater London area. Well done all, and special thanks to newly elected Town Director Ram Ismail for leading our successful bid.

 

Sure this prestigious competition will generate a lot of interest and support. For more information, and details of dates and matches, see Ken Brazier's article on the official website.

[4wembleyfinals]

Not quite the announcement members have been waiting for. But we are at least guaranteed some extra football at the end of season and proves that we have a ground to be proud of. 

 

I hope the same energy is being put into sorting out our team problems????

Edited February 8, 2018 by 4wembleyfinals

[vauxhallman]

This is all brilliant news but it cant deflect from the very serious issue's surrounding the first team.

[andyetfc]

Silence is golden.

 

As the world football cup is being sponsored by Paddy Power, then do we give any money from them to charity?

[Theodopolous]

Good point Andyetfc I see a huge double standard coming on.... just shows what a ridiculous PC vote we had where only me and two others voted to accept the prize money if won.... can't wait to see the board explain this one....

[4wembleyfinals]

Well it does earn brownie points if you have an "MBE" on your agenda. But that is too cynical even for me. Or is it???? Time will tell!!!!!

Edited February 9, 2018 by 4wembleyfinals

[lovely stuff]

I do not feel it is right to refuse money from legitimate businesses..We are a football club,not political moral guardians.

 

So the objection was that we would be profiting from people who are addicted to gambling.But we make money out of alcohol at every game.The biggest addiction of them all.

[littlehampton]

We, as a club, should be immensely proud that we have made giant strides forward since 2001, to be considered a suitable venue to host this prestigious competition.

 

The Confederation of Independent Associations (CONIFA) 2018 World Football Cup will take place in London. The 16-team event will be held between Thursday 31 May and Saturday 9 June.

 

It is a competition for teams not part of FIFA. CONIFA members include States, partially-recognised States, regions, minority groups and sports - isolated territories. The 2018 World Football Cup will bring together a diverse collection of CONIFA members from around the world.

 

The inaugural tournament was held in Sweden in 2014, and last year in Abkhazia. This year, for the first time, there will be teams representing each continent, with CONIFA members from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania.

 

There was stiff competition to host this competition. The four Greater London grounds chosen to stage matches are Sutton United, Bromley, Hayes & Yeading, and Enfield Town.

 

This major tournament, which will have worldwide press coverage, provides a superb opportunity to showcase our Club and facilities at the QE2 Stadium to the football community at large, as well as generating substantial much-needed finance.

 

It is certain to attract a great deal of local and national interest and support.

 

Agree guys...what do you think??

[72wemblyfinal]

We, as a club, should be immensely proud that we have made giant strides forward since 2001, to be considered a suitable venue to host this prestigious competition.The Confederation of Independent Associations (CONIFA) 2018 World Football Cup will take place in London. The 16-team event will be held between Thursday 31 May and Saturday 9 June.It is a competition for teams not part of FIFA. CONIFA members include States, partially-recognised States, regions, minority groups and sports - isolated territories. The 2018 World Football Cup will bring together a diverse collection of CONIFA members from around the world.The inaugural tournament was held in Sweden in 2014, and last year in Abkhazia. This year, for the first time, there will be teams representing each continent, with CONIFA members from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania.There was stiff competition to host this competition. The four Greater London grounds chosen to stage matches are Sutton United, Bromley, Hayes & Yeading, and Enfield Town.This major tournament, which will have worldwide press coverage, provides a superb opportunity to showcase our Club and facilities at the QE2 Stadium to the football community at large, as well as generating substantial much-needed finance.It is certain to attract a great deal of local and national interest and support.Agree guys...what do you think??

Well I for one think this is great News for ETFC.

 

Thankfully we have a board of directors who view the bigger picture.The progress the club has made since 2001 is amazing,all involved should be congratulated.

[4wembleyfinals]

I agree with you LS. Although I am sure most members are proud of the community work undertaken and executed by the club the first duty of the Board must be to safeguard the welfare of the Football Club and to forward its ambitions.

 

I also accept in the main what LH says and for the information he has supplied. Also like many others welcome the news of our involvement in the competition. 

 

But that is not what we are discussing now. The point of issue is how does the club benefit other than by recognition. Presumably all avenues for revenue have been taken care of by the main sponsor.

 

So consequently from what I have read it was agreed to donate the prize money which goes with the award to charity.  On that alone it does seem hypocritical that when discussing the current position of the football club, we are told continuously that we are being held back by financial restraints. But when we consider other matters, such as the prize money,  we quickly take the high moral ground and deprive ourselves of legitimate income.
 

To me this suggest different motivations and conflicts of interest amongst the Board.

 

Hence my rather cryptic remarks in my previous submission. 

 

Finally, I would welcome if some one could clear up what must be a misapprehension on my part regarding the legal status of the members of the Club. That is, are we or are we not members of a  Charitable Trust incorporated within a Limited Company. The answer to this is relevant to future observations I may wish to make. 

Edited February 9, 2018 by 4wembleyfinals

[Theodopolous]

At the AGM we took a show of hands vote whether to accept any prize money for I think performance of the month or team of the month and awards like that which are sponsored by a bookmaking firm... its only a small amount but to be PC correct we were almost talked in to a vote of donating it to charity.. only myself and two others disagreed.... We now need to be told if the club are accepting any money from paddy power through this competition.... if we are then an explanation of the double standards is needed

[littlehampton]

Theo, we as a Club are not involved in the competition, therefore there is no prize money at stake, and no conflict of interest. The QE2 Stadium is being hired by the organisers CONIFA to stage an agreed number of matches for the 2018 World Football Cup.

[Theodopolous]

I never said there was any prize money involved LH .....I was just enquiring whether the club would benefit directly or indirectly from the sponsors money.... if the club isn't benefiting then I can't see why anyone should be bothered about the tournament...f it is it's then it goes against the clubs principles....

Edited February 9, 2018 by Theodopolous

[PocketRocket]

I understand it as Littlehampton has explained it.

 

We are hiring our Stadium to Conifa to use for a competition, to decorate and play their matches.

 

I also remember being asked at the AGM ‘do we accept Betting.net prize money or give it to a gamblers anonymous like charity ‘ we voted the former.

 

Therefore and this isn’t the case, if Paddy Power offered us money directly then we would have to decide whether to accept or not, or put it to members to decide.

 

Nonetheless, twist and turning scenarios by certain commentators on here to undermine your voluntary run club where heart and passion is put in for all our best interests and aspirations is somewhat baffling in my opinion.

 

Well done all concerned on the award, now let’s deliver a great football festival by offering to help anyway we can

[lovely stuff]

But we will have big signs advertising a betting company all over the stadium.

 

Just playing devils advocate.

[PocketRocket]

I can live with that LS and I know so can you. Business is business

[Theodopolous]

As a former bookmaker I was insulted at the AGM by the idea that bookmakers money was looked at as being tainted just because we wanted to look PC correct.... as you say LS it's funny how opinions change when the anti is upped.....

Anyway I've said my piece now let everyone else enjoy the competition....

Edited February 9, 2018 by Theodopolous

[4wembleyfinals]

I have to acknowledge that I have misconstrued some of the previous comments and came to  conclusion that the prize money being referred to related to the award of EFTC ground and facilities taking part in the forthcoming tournament. Based on this misunderstanding some of my earlier remarks may have been ill founded and I now stand corrected.

 

But it does not in any way change my agreement with LS's point regarding making moral judgements as to where or from whom revenue is acquired. Unless it is of course by way of a criminal source.

 

Theo I sympathise with your position. Mind your previous profession puts you morally much higher than some people regarded as up standing members of the community. Quite a few of these included many senior politicians that I have come across in my professional life. 

Edited February 9, 2018 by 4wembleyfinals

[Theodopolous]

Thanks 4WF ?

[behind-the-goal]

I have to say that I genuinely thought this eas a Monty Python-esque joke at first. A 'prestigious' tournament that no-one had actually heard of competed for by entities that (on the whole) no-one had ever heard of. After checking the 'history' of this venerable tournament I discovered that it did indeed start in the dim and distant past (2014 to be precise) and that the first tournament was won by, I kid you not, 'The County of Nice'. Now even Python couldn't come up with that! Personally I'm backing The Paddy Power Nice Bookies of Niceness to come up trumps in this particular tournament.