The community of West Bay came together on 10 Aug. for the kickoff of the inaugural Ivan Farrington Football Cup at Ed Bush Field.
The league, a collaborative effort by the West Bay football fraternity and the West Bay Community Wellness Association, aims to showcase the district’s footballing talent, past and present, while also promoting health and community unity.
The opening ceremony brought all five participating teams together, marking the culmination of months of hard work and planning.
The ceremony included the singing of the national song, opening remarks by James ‘Jamo’ Myles, West Bay Community Wellness Steering Committee chairman, and remarks by Alfredo Whittaker, Cayman Islands Football Association president. The remarks were followed by a moment of silence, a prayer and the ceremonial league kickoff by Ivan Farrington and Lenny Hew before the two opening matches.
Bosun Bay opened the league with a dramatic 3-2 win against North West Point, fighting back after being down two goals. Following that match, Mount Pleasant secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Birch Tree Hill. The fifth team competing for the coveted title is West Bay Central.
The league was spearheaded by a number of key people, including Roy ‘Huta’ Ebanks, Antonio ‘Tonni’ Smith, William Olsen Bush, Arden ‘Cheeky’ Rivers, Sylvester ‘Pongo’ Coleman, Heather Parsons, Darnol Kelly, Jerad Ebanks, James Anglin, Gregory ‘Greggie’ Ebanks and James ‘Jamo’ Myles.
Honouring Ivan Farrington
The league is named in honour of Ivan Farrington, a 91-year-old West Bayer who played football and cricket nationally for the Cayman Islands in his younger days.
He not only played for the national teams but also captained both the national football team and West Bay cricket team for one season each.
Additionally, in the 1950s, he played the role of president of the first sports club in West Bay, The West Bay Sports Club.
Farrington, who was on hand for the ceremonial kickoff of the community league, expressed his gratitude and pride, saying, “I am happy to be a part of this, and I’m happy that they named a cup after me.”
His hopes for the future of Cayman football are to see the continued development of Caymanian football talent.
He praised Roy ‘Huta’ Ebanks, coach and director of Future Sports Club, as an example of this, adding, “He always looks out for his boys; winning is not everything for him.”
Reflecting on the evolution of the sport, Farrington recalled a time when there were only two fields, the West Bay playing field and Partner Ground in George Town, as well as two teams called the West Bay Football Team and George Town Football Team.
He reflected on some of the many players during that time, like Billy Banker, A. Colin Panton, Burns Rutty, Bob Thompson and Timothy McField, saying, “It was good sport in them days.”
Outside of sports, Farrington, referred to as ‘The Devil’, is the owner of The Devil’s Hangout Gift Shop located in Hell, a popular tourist site in West Bay known for its black limestone formations.
A movement for health and wellness
The idea for the league originated from a desire to promote community wellness, a concept championed by James ‘Jamo’ Myles.
The initiative was born from conversations between Myles and other key organisers, who recognised the need to address the physical inactivity highlighted in the 2023 STEPS National Health Survey.
“We’re trying to change the mindset of people to just get moving. As long as you’re moving, you’ll have a better chance of a healthier life,” Myles said.
The league’s unique approach to wellness is exemplified by the ‘Jericho Walk’, a halftime activity where everyone in the crowd, from players to spectators, is encouraged to walk seven laps around half of the field or for as many laps as they can within the 15 minutes of halftime.
“Who can run, run, who can jog, jog, who can walk, walk,” he said, highlighting that the use of the Ed Bush Field’s turf, provided by the Department of Sports at no cost, also allows easier movement for people in wheelchairs to participate.
He emphasised that the event is inclusive of all ages and abilities.
Myles said the Ivan Farrington Football Cup is a pilot event, adding, “We’re in discussions with the government to move this throughout the other districts.”
Through this initiative, he hopes the next STEPS report will show a significant decrease in health issues like diabetes and high blood pressure in the Cayman Islands.
In future games, Doctors Hospital Cayman will be on-site to offer free blood pressure clinics, an effort Myles hopes will encourage people to monitor their health more regularly.
Reflections from key organisers
After nearly three months of planning for this league, Olsen Bush, technical director and co-founder of Fusion Football Club, said the launch was a moment of immense excitement for him.
“There were several obstacles, primarily getting some funding to get the uniforms to allow the teams to be properly attired and so forth, and we’re hoping that the primary objective gets fulfilled – that is to bring about tremendous awareness of the importance of health and having people pay attention to their health,” Bush said.
The tournament has successfully brought together multiple generations of players, and Bush expressed his hope to see even more of the “fantastic footballers” of yesteryear take to the field.
He said it’s good to see “the youngsters” come out and play respectfully with the veterans. His wish is for the younger persons in the community to get a glimpse of what the older players were capable of doing back in the day.
“Because we had some really incredible footballers,” he proudly stated.
He reflected on the significance of football in Cayman’s past, recalling a time when a majority of the young males played football almost every day.
“There was not a lot of the distractions [in our days] that the young kids have today. Technology is one. Even the drugs weren’t as prevalent,” Bush said.
Antonio Smith, technical director of Scholars International Sports Club, sees the league as a significant step for West Bay, especially in uniting the five communities in the district.
“If we all can unite, have fun and play together, it will make the three Cayman Islands, not just West Bay, a better place to live,” Smith said.
Games will be played on Wednesdays at 7pm and Sundays at 5pm and 7pm at Ed Bush Field in West Bay.
