53rd Vincent Green Grade 11 Tournament
Tauranga Blue Rovers Football Club are planning to run the Vincent Green Grade 11 Tournament again this year at Pemberton Park, Fraser Road, Tauranga.
Teams must be genuine club teams with all players registered with their club and visible in the NZ Football database, Comet. No Metro or Federations graded teams can enter. WaiBoP Football rules and regulations for Grade 11 apply. These are available on the WaiBoP Football website.
This tournament relies on a policy of participation and inclusiveness in a positive environment strongly
encouraging fair play. We like to think that participating teams will come along, enjoy the sport and the facilities and go home feeling it was a good day for football
All inquriries please email: events@bluerovers.co.nz
To complete an Expression of Interest form please head to this link: https://forms.gle/wUpUnNunrRyFJqD49
History
The Vincent Green tournament has been an annual fixture on the Blue Rovers calendar since 1971 and is in memory of one of its founding players, Vincent Green. The history of the Tournament and the Club are closely intertwined.
Vincent Green was the third child of June and Graham Green, who emigrated to New Zealand from the UK in 1967. Once in Tauranga, June and Graham bought the Rendezvous Coffee Lounge on Devonport Road and, with their five children, established themselves quickly in the community.
June Green recalls that fellow immigrant, Dutchman Andre van der Sande, owned a fruit and vegetable store next to the coffee lounge. Mr van der Sande and the Greens quickly became friends and Graham and Andre discovered a shared love of sport.
Andre’s passion was football. He proposed the establishment of a junior football club for ten to eleven year olds. The Club, for boys in the central Tauranga area, was first formed in 1970. Andre was the Club’s first coach, Vincent was the second of the original eleven boys to sign up.
June remembers that Blue Rovers was the boys’ choice for a club name, as were the team colours of blue and red (now blue and white). Their first practice game took place on Jordan Park on Devonport Road (now part of memorial park) . The team’s first official encounter with the Thames junior football side resulted in a resounding 9-0 loss. But the Blue Rovers returned to Tauranga undeterred. They continued to practice their skills under Andre’s coaching, going on to great success in their age group.
By the end of the first season the Blue Rovers Club was firmly established and the boys returned in 1971 for their second season.
But events took a sad and unexpected turn when Vincent passed away suddenly on 27th July 1971 from a brain tumour.
His loss was keenly felt by the tight knit Blue Rovers team. Andre was soon looking for a practical way to remember Vincent, and came up with the idea of a tournament in his honour. The Vincent Green Memorial Shield, generously donated by Vincent’s parents, was first presented in 1971. The tournament has become a proud annual fixture as the Club continues to flourish and expand.
Today the Blue Rovers Junior Football Club has grown vastly from the original eleven to almost 600 winter season players.
