John Kerkhof Park, Cambridge. Saturday October 12. Kick-off: 2.30pm.
Cambridge FC’s John Kerkhof Park is set to play host to another afternoon of entertaining football as WaiBOP United’s preparation for the ASB Premiership takes another step forward. WaiBOP United Head Coach, Peter Smith, plans to name a strong squad to take on the WaiBOP All Stars, a team chosen following last Saturday’s Waikato Bay of Plenty All Star game, which was also held in Cambridge. “This match is an important part of our pre-season as it will help me determine the final make-up of our ASB Premiership squad,” says Smith. “We have a training camp next weekend and I’ll only be taking 20 players away with me. So this match will give those on the fringes one final opportunity to play themselves into the squad. We’ll be taking this match very seriously.” Smith is also acutely aware that WaiBOP United needs to be representative of the whole Waikato and Bay of Plenty region. “That is one of the reasons why I’m looking forward to Saturday’s game. Not only will it play an important part in our build-up to the season ahead but it will also be another great occasion for football in the region,” says Smith. “The support I saw at Cambridge for the Waikato Bay of Plenty All Star Game last Saturday was fantastic. Hopefully we can generate the same sort of interest for this match.” Entry to Saturday’s game is free. WaiBOP United has scheduled a training camp at the Oceania Football Confederation’s facilities from October 18 to October 20. This will be followed by a pre-season match against Hawke’s Bay United at Taupo’s Crown Park on Saturday October 26. One final pre-season match will be scheduled for the weekend of November 2 and 3. The ASB Premiership kicks off on Sunday November 10 when WaiBOP United plays Canterbury United at the Rotorua International Stadium.
