Out With The Friendlies, In With The Rivalries and Novelties as ABH League Begins a New Season
The Alexander Brown Hall has been on the receiving end of several lullabies of recent but that is about to change. With sporting activities during Hall Week coming to an end, the hall has been treated with different waves of examinations forcing many players of the round leather ball to suspend their boots. However, with the new season of the Alexander Brown Hall League starting soon, the hall is about to be woken up from its slumbers.
The Alexander Brown Hall League (ABH League) is one of the exciting tournaments that cater to the interest of football-loving Brownites, but also holds the record for being the most dramatic and diverse sports tournament in the hall. The unique factor in the ABH League is the range of flexibility it affords its participants which provides interesting variabilities. Compared to other competitions, the ABH League incorporates club ownership, team management, participation from non-Brownites, and a transfer window. This makes for a wholesome competition where virtually all components of football are explored.
Before now, in a novel development, friendly matches have been held among the different clubs that will be participating in the tournament, aimed at providing some warm-up action for the various teams. The friendly matches featured 9 matches held over 4 Saturdays. So what teams should be expected to feature this season? Reports from the ABH FA confirmed that there will be 8 teams participating in this season’s tournament namely Shegzzy FC, Stampede United, Gladiators, Titans, Avalanche FC, Skippo FC, D’infernos FC, and Blazers FC.
One of the usual interesting twists to the ABH League is the freedom it affords club owners to bring in non-Brownites into their respective clubs. However, in another novel development, there are now rules mandating teams to have at least two Brownites present in a team throughout a match. This was done to ensure the interest of Brownites are protected during the tournament.
In a similar move towards increased inclusion of Brownites in the League, the Chair of the FA, Mark Obeya, disclosed that there will be a female football competition during the 2-weeks transfer window break. This will be organized in partnership with the Female Affairs Ministry, he said.
There will also be a cup competition, the Dr Victor Aire’s FA Cup. The modalities for the cup tournament will involve two groups with 4 teams in each. According to Mr Obeya, “After the group stages are concluded, the top two teams in each group will progress to the next round. That would leave 4 teams. We will then have a draw to decide which teams face off in the 2-legged semi-final. Before the eventual FA Cup final.”
Draws on how the teams will go against one another will be unveiled on this evening at the Press Conference scheduled to hold at 6:30pm. With the nets fixed and the fixtures about to be set, the new season of the ABH League promises to be another intriguing rollercoaster. We however hope there is less blood on the sand this time around.