Meet the people who make Cup Match happen

The annual Cup Match Classic will be held at St George’s Cricket Club and thousands of Bermudians and visitors will visit the club over the course of the two-day game.

They will eat, gamble, drink and, of course, watch the game.

The players and the coaches get all the glory for what plays out on the pitch but what about the small army of people who work tirelessly behind the
scenes to make it all
happen? 

Have you ever wondered what it takes to put on an event of this magnitude?

Who is in charge of the sound system? Who makes sure the Crown and Anchor tables are organized? Who sorts out of the food vendors? Who makes sure the pitch is perfect?

Here we give you the top ten key people, firms and organizers that make sure Cup Match happens.

We thank Neil Paynter, president of the St George’s Cricket Club, for his help in compiling this list.

• Neil Paynter. Neil is president of the club and makes it all happen. From ensuring the club is in pristine condition to smoothing out any organizational wrinkles before the game, Neil is your man. He is the arguably the most important person for those two days.. well aside from the man of the match!

• Calvin Richardson. Calvin is the groundsman and his sole job is making sure the pitch is perfect. If, God forbid, there is rain during the two days, he will be running out to the pitch with his men and a large blue tarp, making sure it doesn’t get wet. He is also responsible for keeping the playing field looking good.

• TurnKey Scaffolding. This company makes sure all the scaffolding for the bleachers is completed on schedule for the game. 

Individual plots are rented and they sell out every single year. Families and/or friends come together and rent a specific section to make their home over the two-day game. If you get invited to one, have a great time and drink the swizzle!

• Commentators. The commentators are crucial for those who don’t attend the game and listen on the radio. Jim Woolridge commentated for years on VSB alongside Sean Tucker. Mike Sharpe will take the place of an unwell Mr Woolridge this year. For ZBM, the commentators will be Allen Richardson, Wendell Brown and Dwayne ‘Sluggo’ Leverock. Their role is comment on the game for the listening audiences whether they are camping, out on a boat, at the beach or lying at home in bed. Some fans at the game enjoy the commentary even when they are watching the live action. 

• The foodies. Cup Match is synonymous with fresh seafood whether it’s an order of fish, a plate of mussels, conch fritters or shark hash, it’s eaten over the holiday. The battle of the best rages on each year, usually between Sid’s Seafood and St David’s Seafood. This year, enter Sea Side Grill and Malcolm’s. The battle should be epic.

• The Crown & Anchor men (& women). The club doesn’t actually run the Crown and Anchor tent — it goes through a tendering process.  The company that wins the bid (it hadn’t been declared by press time) is responsible for making sure they sell tables and everything runs smoothly.

• The liquor kings. What would Cup Match Be without alcohol? Liquor is available all around the grounds of the club and is organised by St George’s Cricket Club. Whether it’s a Heineken, a cup of swizzle or something a little stronger, you are guaranteed to find it somewhere at the club.

• Sound system. Dana Rawlins ‘DJ Iceman’ is the man responsible for making sure the music is pumping during the game and afterwards. He is a sound engineer and makes all the announcements during the game.

• Security. Bermuda Executive Protection andDigital Electronics are two companies in charge of making sure the event runs smoothly. Officers from Bermuda Executive Protection will be at all the entrances of the club to search you and put you through the metal detector. Don’t get put off. It’s to make sure the event and safe and free of violence. CCTV is supplied by Digital Electronics.

• The Car Park attendants. If it wasn;t for the attendants, people would park wherever they see a space, whether It’s legal or not. This year, cars can park on Mullet Bay Park, Garrison Field and Kindley Field. Private shuttles may be available to take you from the car park to the game. Have fun!