The Emmett Caines Knockout Cup will launch the 2023 / 24 football season, when Lion Heart FC take on Old Madrid FC this Saturday, September 16th with a 6pm kick off at the FA National Stadium venue in East End / Long Look.

The late Emett Caines was a long-time player, manager, coach, and supporter of the game, starting out from 1975 and stretching to 1992, with plenty of involvement right up until his untimely passing. The competition is a fitting way to celebrate his love of the game.

He played for Police, Green City Strikers, and Popeye Bombers. He played for the National team and in 1986 was the manager of the national team that won the Leeward Islands Tournament in Montserrat.

He was manager for 11 years, travelling across the Caribbean and afterwards kept himself involved in as many ways as possible.

The format is “blind” by which the teams pulled out a number and then learned their fate as more of the ten teams followed suit. One of the pairings will also get a bye in the next round and the remaining four teams will face a redraw to learn their opponents. After those games, one of the winning three teams will get a bye into the final, where they will await the winners of the remaining pairs match up.

The full draw conducted in the presence of Mrs. Alvera Maduro-Caines saw not only the first pairing of Lion Heart and Old Madrid, but also threw out some other mouth-watering clashes including Wolues FC v Sugar Boys FC and archrivals One Love FC against Islanders FC.