Police United to Defend Belize in CONCACAF Champions League
The Police United Football Club, winners of the 2016 Premier League tournament, will represent Belize in the upcoming CONCACAF Champions League series. It is a momentous occasion since the Belize Police Department is the first law enforcement organization anywhere to field a team in the annual competition. The management of the club is heading to Miami this Sunday to participate in a lottery to select a team that it will face in the home and away series. According to Superintendent Andres Makin, after edging out the Belmopan Bandits, the team has earned its place on the CONCACAF ladder to represent the country regionally. That seed however, comes at a cost for which they are turning to you for financial assistance.
Andres Makin Sr.
Supt. Andres Makin Sr., Manager, Police United F.C.
“We started in the PLB since 2011, the Police United Football Club, and since then we’ve come a long way. We’ve won two championships and we’ve been sub-champions four times. So of the six or so tournaments that we’ve been a part of the PLB we’ve always been at the finals with two championships. This last championship has given us that right to represent Belize in the Champions League. For those who don’t really follow the game, Champion’s League has to do with the champions of countries that represent their country at the end of two tournaments. A football year, a calendar is two tournaments for the year and we’ve managed to win the first for 2015-2016. We were the opening tournament champions. What happens is that at the end of both tournaments the champions are considered but at the same time if there’s a tie, you know, if you’re not back-to-back champions then they have a point system that you go by. And what happens is that they put both tournaments points together and then the ones with the highest points would be the ones to gain the right to become CONCACAF or the Champions League representative of the country.”
Raphael Martinez
Raphael Martinez, Communications Officer, Police United F.C.
“I think it’s a very historic moment that for the first time in the history of any body, anywhere, a police team has been selected to represent a country in CONCACAF and we are so proud to be the team that was selected and as a matter of fact our manager will give you a little more details into that, but we narrowly, narrowly beat the Belmopan Bandits to take this position.”
Supt. Andres Makin Sr.
“This is just the lotto pick to find out who it is that we’re going to play against, this weekend coming after which we will embark into the games. So it will be a three-team series, we’ll have two outside games and then we’ll also have two home games. You know, so it comes, as I said, with a lot of financial burden and a lot of financial commitments. So I’m just asking, you know, the Belizean populace to maybe assist financially and if not support us when it comes to our home games, just go out in numbers so as for us to have, to make at least something for ourselves so that we’ll be able to travel, you know, so that we could meet our expenses when it‘s time for us to travel, you know.”
