Digicel/Marley One Love matches target Malvern

H Walker

Friday, February 17, 2012

THE 30th staging of the Digicel Bob Marley One Love Celebrity football matches was launched yesterday at Cuddyz Sports Bar with the initiating of a basic school in Malvern, St Elizabeth being the charitable target.

The Ash Wednesday tournament at the Constant Spring field will see Sponsors, Entertainers, Masters and Celebrities and Media & Young Promoters teams playing in a round-robin format.

Organiser Clive "Busy" Campbell was shocked to discover there is no basic school in Malvern, and that's what he will be focusing on this year.

"There is no basic school in Malvern and we must get one there," he told the Observer.

Over the years, Campbell's organisation has done tremendous charity work with a number of school benefiting from the One Love Bob Marley games.

Digicel's sports and sponsorship manager Paula Pinnock-Mcleod said they were pleased to be on board as main sponsors again.

"For Digicel, the Bob Marley Celebrity football competition is part of an overall One Love celebration of the legend Bob Marley," she told the Observer.

"We started off the month with his birthday celebration concert in Emancipation Park on the Feb 5 and we joined the Bob Marley Foundation, Rita Marley and the Marley family at the museum in celebration," she added.

"So the football celebration is the culmination of the one-month celebration of Bob Marley and we're pleased to be back as chief sponsors for a charitable event...," said Pinnock-Mcleod.

The event has been going on since 1982 and has been a feature of Black History Month.

"This being Reggae Month, this game will always be played on Ash Wednesday, although sometime it falls in March. To me, he (Marley) is a prophet...

"My gratitude to Bob Marley Foundation... for affording me the opportunity to stage matches in commemoration of the life of this music icon," said Campbell.

Admission will be $500, with children under 10 free. There will be six matches, starting at 2;00 pm. The activities are scheduled to end at 6:00 pm.

Among the list of celebrities attending this year are Courtney Walsh, Idona, Konshens, Chris Martin, Ding Dong, Wickaman, Cobra, RDX-2 and Nesbeth.