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It celebrates 55 years. making it the oldest football tournament in the land and hundreds of soccer stars have emerged from the dusty patches of the city to stardom through participating in it.
Panayiotis (Peter) Leondios, the owner of the oldest city sports shop, said the tournament had lived to this day because of the passion for Bulawayo and soccer that he has had with his family.
He said even the previous owner of the company who founded it in 1957, Wally Townshend and sponsored the tournament for 29 years, loved his soccer and community.
“I bought this company from the former councillor in 1986. I found him having sponsored the event for 29 years. As we were discussing, he said it was his wish that I continue servicing the Bulawayo community through the tournament. He said he was proud of its impact.
“I did not hesitate to have a buy-in, in the idea and I sponsored the event the very first year up to this day. It’s something that I do without even thinking about it as it has become part and parcel of this company,” said Leondios.
He said his company was keen to provide another platform for those who love the game of football to participate in a less competitive environment. This, he said, helps the city residents stay healthy and fit, takes away participants from social evils while at the same time affording others a chance to develop their talents for recognition by more competitive leagues.
“We help take the youths from social evils, they get to spend their time gainfully engaged, others can shape their talents and move on, we are always happy to see such happen and we get the feeling of contentment that we have helped in the well-being of the society,” said the Nicosia, Cyprus-born businessman.
Leondios said he was happy to have been associated with the event for 26 years. Hundreds of players, he said, had since gone through the company-sponsored event and he had grown to find it very humbling to meet people who claim to have played in the tournament as far as the 1960s.
“That is my challenge. I always say I would be happy to see it still running for the next 55 years, when I am gone I hope someone will take over and continue to be part of the city’s football history. We have as a family enjoyed our partnership with the Bulawayo Amateur Football Association formerly Bulawayo African Football Association,” said Leondios whose love for the game started in the 1950s while he was still a student in Cyprus.
A Liverpool diehard, Leondios said reaching 55 years was a milestone for the tournament. He said he would honour with medals some people who have made significant strides to Bafa and soccer in Bulawayo this year. They will get medals and he said a committee had already been put in place to identify those deemed to have made a significant contribution to Bafa.
“We will not just go out and give medals to everyone who knows Bafa, but people who played in the league and went to administer like Mackenzie Sibanda who even worked for the company and ran the tournament will definitely be recognised,” said Leondios.
A former Highlanders player, Sibanda played in the inaugural Townshend and Butcher in 1957.
Sibanda said Highlanders had won the tournament a number of times before joining the competitive ranks in 1969, leaving an amateur side — Matabeleland High City to keep their berth in Bafa in the event things did not go well in the Rhodesia National Football League.
The amateur side still exists to this day and has won the tournament more than any other team.
Sibanda said Highlanders, Mashonaland Defenders, United Africa, Northern Rhodesia, Mutambara, Manicaland, Rhodesia Railways were some of the clubs that took part in the inaugural tournament and subsequent times before the onset of organised national football.
“We used to have several tournaments like the Tapitapi Cup, as provinces we would come up with select teams too like Red Army for Bulawayo, Yellow Peril for Harare, Blue Bombers for Mutare and Golden Stars for Gweru. We were happy with tournaments such as Tapitapi and Townshend and Butcher we had in our towns.
“Several sponsors like Arenel and Lobels have come and gone, but I am happy Townshend and Butcher is still there today. They have made a big contribution to Bulawayo football,” said Sibanda, now a Bulawayo councillor.
Gibson Makhanda, Chester Makhanda, ABC Rusike, Jerry Vera, Ndundu, Dutchie Dutchman, Chester Raiza, John Walker, Gibson Homela, Kainoti Luphahla, Edward Dzowa, Edward Dlamini are some of the big names Sibanda still remembers from the Townshend and Butcher Trophy early days.
Leondios said for the 55th anniversary celebrations the last four clubs in the tournament would receive medals and uniforms.
Leondios owns several other businesses in town which include Mr Chips, Royal Sunflower, Fotron and Beitbridge Casino and will soon open a casino in the city. He has previously employed several soccer players.
Online Reporter