Just to put Westridge Football Club’s Bayhill Premier Cup qualification into perspective…. The last time they featured at this tournament a player with the name of Romano Scott was the name on everyone’s lips…
Scott used this platform to market himself and elevate his prospects into a pro career where he went on to play over 200 games for Santos in the PSL when the People’s Team were still at its peak.
After more than two decades, the Mitchells Plain LFA side is back amongst the cream of the crop of the annual Easter spectacle which will take place from the 27 March to 31 March at the Erica Park Sport Complex in Belhar. The final is on 1 April at the Athlone Stadium.
The big question is who will grab this opportunity to possibly follow in the footsteps of Scott and put the club back on the map.
Westridge’s coach Neale Manuel is one of the individuals who harbours this expectation and his plan is slowly but surely coming to fruition following their spot at the Bayhill finals over the Easter weekend.
“This was a three-year journey and it could not have happened without the support of my fellow coaches Ashraf Andrew and Leroy Fredericks,” Manuel explained to No Bones with Jones. “Therefore, I am very grateful to them. I am so very proud of our players who have sacrificed a lot and put in the effort to finally qualify for the tournament as it’s been a long road,” said Manuel.
Manuel joined the club in 2016 as a player (under 40), and subsequently took up a coaching role as well, prior to winning the League and the Knockout titles.
“I then started working with the under 10’s until I took over the under 16 squad and within a short period of time I took them to another level by finishing second in the league – by then I already had a disciplined squad with a 3-year plan that I worked on.
“For me, 2023 was a great achievement when we finished second in the league as was the case with my first year with the under 18’s. Also, my one midfield player got player of the year award from the LFA.
“This year (2024) also kicked off on a positive note with us qualifying for the Bayhill as the club has not managed this in 21 years. Again I am grateful to our coaches and technical team for assisting me with these wonderful players. Even the support of the parents played a huge role during the qualifiers,” he added.
Westridge, along with Leeds and the host team Bayhill United will be flying the flag for the Mitchells Plain contingent knowing deep down that they are up against the very best.
“We are under no illusion of the quality that we will be up against,” Manuel further stated. We don’t harbour ridiculous expectations, but we will enjoy this experience as it’s been a long time coming, you know. We are already successful by virtue of participating in the prestigious tournament as there are a lot of teams that did not qualify.
“Going forward we need to ensure that we strive for this objective on a regular basis in the future as it will help with the growth and development of our players. My message to the players and supporters is to go out and enjoy the occasion and learn from it,” Manuel concluded.
