Pre-season tournament a memorial to stalwart

Geoff Logan co-founded Gisborne's Sunshine Brewery and was a keen supporter of local football. The inaugural Geoff Logan memorial pre-season football tournament will be held at Childers Road Reserve tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard

If there was football at Childers Road Reserve, Geoff Logan would often be there standing by a bin.

The co-founder of Sunshine Brewery in Gisborne chipped in to help cover fees for representative teams, adverse weather did not deter his presence at games and he was not averse to supplying a flagon for the player of the match.

A pre-season football tournament tomorrow at Childers Road Reserve will bear his name — the Geoff Logan memorial tournament will feature 60-minute games involving Gisborne Thistle, Gisborne United, Gisborne City and Wainui.

Gisborne Thistle first-team coach Garrett Blair is one of the organisers.

“Geoff was a fantastic supporter of local football,” he said.

“There was an opportunity to have a pre-season tournament, to give the Gisborne teams a hit-out, and to memorialise his contribution to football.”

Logan died in June 2018.

His son Max Logan, a Thistle player, will turn out tomorrow for Gisborne City, which will be a sort of Old Boys side.

Blair said isolation was a big factor for Gisborne teams and the tournament would give them game time without the stress of travel.

They will have a round of pool play and then a final and playoff between third and fourth.

The event is due to start at 9am, the final is expected to kick off after 4pm and a prizegiving will take place about 6pm.

Blair expected plenty of players would get a run and he said he would use the tournament to try new players.

“It's going to be a big day.”

They're keeping the tournament local in its first year but may invite teams from outside the region in future.

Max Logan said he and his family were grateful to be involved and the tournament would acknowldge his father and “old stalwarts of the footballing community”.

“Dad loved the game. He followed me from the reps upwards and coached super league teams.

“He enjoyed the social aspect.”

He was a local league player for Gisborne City.

His son said he lost his hearing in one ear and this kept the surfer out of the water and his interest then grew in football.

Geoff Logan had former All White Richard Mulligan working in the brewery.

“He was a supporter of local football in general,” Max Logan said.

“It will be a fun day.”