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Cascadia play their first ever friendly on Saturday when they meet the Chagos Islands at Whyteleafe FC. The East Surrey club play in the Isthmian League South East Division.
Five of the men who represented the Cascadia bioregion in the ConIFA World Cup are returning to the squad; Charlie Gregory, Patrick Wilson, Max Oldham, Tayshan Hayden-Smith and Brian Simpson. Oldham was voted Player of the Tournament by one newspaper, and his skills out on the right wing will make for interesting viewing for the South London crowd.
Cascadia head coach James Nichols is looking forward to the event:
“We are delighted to be moving Cascadia on from our first tournament to the next stage. I want to thank Whyteleafe for their amazing hospitality and offer to host us. It is clubs like them with a commitment to the game that make all the difference.
“I am looking forward to meeting my Chagossian counterparts too. They are very enthusiastic to be playing us.”
WHO ARE THE CHAGOS ISLANDS?
The Chagos Islands are situated in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The side is run by the Chagos Football Association.
Brian Simpson is returning to represent Cascadia again
The UK government forcibly evicted the 2000 strong population between 1968 and 1973 to accommodate the US military’s desire for an air base on Diego Garcia.
Although many islanders are still fighting for the right to return, a large diaspora settled in the town of Crawley in Sussex. It is mostly from that diaspora that the Chagos Islands side draw their players.
Their first game took place in Crawley in 2011 where they beet Raetia 6-1. In their last game in June, they lost by the same score to Tuvalu in Bedfont.
The venue for the ConIFA World Cup was London so obviously Cascadia played their games in the English capital.
This is the last game Cascadia will play in England before they finally make their home debut on July 27th where Darfur will be the opponents.
The kickoff is 3pm and you can pay at the gate. Admission is £8 for adults and £4 for children. Whyeleafe South and Upper Warlingham are the nearest stations.
Food and a commemorative program will also be available. There will be a small number of the brand new Cascadia jersey for sale.
As part of our build up to the game, we will have exclusive interviews with Nichols and the man who will replace James Riley as Captain, Patrick Wilson, as well as a look at the Cascadia squad.
