The top soccer athletes aged 35 and up from across the province jammed into MacDonald Park in Vernon over the Victoria Day long weekend to take part in a competitive and boisterous event.
The Vernon Gibson Classic Masters soccer tournament wrapped up its 42nd annual event on Monday, May 20, as teams from B.C. and Alberta came out to MacDonald Field for three days of footy action.
The tournament is named after longtime Vernon soccer official Ian Gibson, who passed away in 2020. The tournament started in 1984, and the new committee (established last year) is continuing the legacy.
“Ian was an absolute icon and legend in the Vernon community,” said tournament organizer Andy Stein. “We honour his legacy each year with the tournament.”
While there was a plethora of soccer to take in, with seven divisions competing for championships, there was plenty of other entertainment to keep attendees interested.
A beer garden was set up, adjacent from Seaton Secondary, where the loud music and cheers from many were heard across the city.
“The beer garden tips were generously donated to the George Stein memorial bursary which is awarded yearly to a graduation student in Vernon who has shown dedication and skill while developing in a Vernon youth soccer program,” added Stein. “The garden was full all weekend.”
The tournament played the Canucks and Oilers game on Saturday, along with the final English Premier League match on Sunday morning for the folks in the garden.
As for the action on the pitch, seven winners were crowned.
In the women’s 35+ division, Here for the Beer (Calgary) tore up team Funbags (mixed) 7-0. In the 45+ tier, it was GG United (mixed) who bested Lisa Ladies (Kamloops) by a 4-2 score. Finally, the 50+ division (which was played seven on seven), saw the Poco Cougars (Port Coquitlam) eke out a shootout win over the Snow Angels (mixed).
The men’s category had four winners. In the 35+ match, it was Calgary Crew defeating the hometown Bob Ross FC 4-0 to win the championship. The 45+ division needed penalty kicks to decide the winner, with LWO (Salmon Arm) defeating Storm Dacia (Calgary), 3-2.
The 50+ division had the Southside Rangers (Calgary) shut out the Pioneer Hitch (Edmonton), 3-0 while in the 60+ tier, it was Piva Financial from Kamloops who defeated the Calgary Selects, 2-1.
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