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Mangawhai United captain Richard Grayson hands the Black Swamp Trophy to Wellsford captain Mike Rewi.
Bream Bay’s Stuart McDonald with Mangawhai Football Club’s Bobby Farmer.
Mangawhai football clubs have managed to close off the season with annual friendly matches, thanks to a relaxing of restrictions.
Mangawhai United Soccer Club, which plays in the Rodney Otamatea Soccer Association (ROSA), played the Wellsford Football Club for the annual Black Swamp Trophy.
The log of wood trophy is played each year in memory of Travis Flannagan and in support of suicide prevention.
“Travis was a wonderful young man and a talented player of the game who was always kind and spirited. He was always keen to be part of our football community and is sadly missed,” ROSA president Martin Searle says.
The match was competitively contested with Wellsford FC ultimately winning, scoring four goals and conceding two.
Meanwhile, Mangawhai Football Club, which plays in the northern football federation, played for the annual Brynderwyn Cup against Bream Bay, also in memory of Travis.
All of the teams from both clubs play for the cup. Bream Bay and Mangawhai each won three matches.
Under normal circumstances, the trophy would have been awarded on a points basis.
However, since Bream Bay came out just one point ahead of Mangawhai, it was decided the trophy ought to remain in Mangawhai.
“We were arguing about who would hold it – both sides wanted the other to have it,” Mangawhai committee member Bobby Farmer said.
Farmer says the two clubs have a great relationship and Bream Bay has helped Mangawhai to grow since it departed from ROSA to play federation football.
The club now has 190 players.
