Police - CSF kick off final at 4.00p.m today at CR grounds:

Who will take custody of the HolcimFA Cup?

Bernard PERERA

The Holcim FA Cup championship concludes today at the CR & FC ground when the debutants to the championship take on police SC at 4.00 p.m.

The FA Cup championship is the mostly respected soccer tourney in the world of soccer which is played in all 202 countries. It also holds the record as the oldest championship in the world. Sri Lanka commenced its championship way back in the year 1949 with few teams competing and it has reached the figure mark few years ago.

Holcim Lanka Ltd which entered the soccer arena to sponsor the FA Cup in 2005 has seen a great improvement. This year the participation reached the number 117 teams. Already 115 matches have been completed.

The highlight this year is the elimination of all the Premier League teams except the Police SC. The FA Cup Championship is the only tourney that gives an opportunity to clubs of all round the country complete on a knockout basis.

This theory has produce good results this year with the entry of a team that never was seen on the Premier League the Civil Security Force. England too experienced the same feet this year when Ports Mouth defeated Cardiff City in the final.

All high riding teams such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Blackburn failing to reach the final round.

In Sri Lanka too saw all the top soccer playing clubs been eliminated in the early stages of the tourney.

First it was the defending champions Negombo Youth SC who went out of the tourney. Later only three teams from the Premier League qualified to play the semis along with debutant Civil Security Force.

The present skipper of police also has a record by scoring 3 goals in a final playing for Saunders SC before turning out for Police SC.

Civil Security Force came through to the final overcoming many leading teams such as Renown SC, Java Lane SC, Maligawatte Youth SC and the Air Force team in the semi final.

The semi final against the Airmen was the most interesting and thrilling as both teams scoring their goals within a space of two minutes this two during injury time.

The shoot out introduced to decide the winner too went the full length with all eleven players getting the opportunity to shoot at the goal.

This incident too is history for the local FA Cup created by the debutants.

Civil Security Force coached by former National Star Mahinda Palitha comprise seven players who have made their way to the top ranks coming from the Football Federation Development squad.

These players and the coach gets the fullest co-operation from the chief of the Force and an ardent supporter of Soccer Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera who is always there to encourage the players during matches.

Police team is the team with lot of experience planning in the Premier League.

The team led by Sanjaya Pradeep is a well balanced side which did well to overcome the more fancied Ratnam SC in the semis.

Ratnam SC the Dialog Premier League Champs came for their game against Police as hot favourites but tragedy struck for them as the policemen combined well to thwart the onslaught from the Kotahena Club.

Police SC have entered the FA Cup final on five occasions but was able to the same only once that too being way back as 1973. Police before facing the Kotahena Club defeated New Young SC from Wennappuwa and Saunders SC in quarter final.

The team coached by former national player J. Hashimdeen enter the field today with high hopes of grabbing the cup for a second time.

This could be achieved provided they combine well again as a team in the way they performed against Ratnam SC a week ago.

Meanwhile the Civil Security Force too is brimming with confidence as they have performed the best so far during this tourney. They are expected to give the policemen a torrid time with their brilliant performance and their physic.

If they do their best here today and lift the cup it will definitely make history for Sri Lanka’s Holcim FA Cup.