Ceres-Negros FC in talks for new owner

By

 Adrian Stewart Co

MANILA – Ceres-Negros FC is currently in talks with some investors who will take over the team ahead of their title defense in the Philippines Football League and the resumption of their 2020 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup campaign.

In a statement released yesterday, the Busmen said that once the change of ownership is completed, it will be rebranding the squad as Busmen chairman Leo Rey Yanson will not be involved in any capacity.

“This is one of the toughest decisions made by Mr. Yanson, whose passion for football was reflected at the way he poured his personal resources and steered the club to unprecedented heights since it was formed eight years ago,” the statement read.

“Through Ceres-Negros FC, Mr. Yanson was able to share his love for the game to his countrymen. While the pandemic has struck hard on businesses all over the world, Ceres has made its best efforts to compensate its players and staff,” it added.

Meanwhile, Ceres-Negros star Bienvenido Marañon, during the CPT Crossover podcast of Bacolodnon sportswriter Cedelf Tupas on Tuesday night, said the squad is looking forward to the resumption of practices.

“We are waiting for the schedule of the games, the schedule of AFC and we are just excited to train,” Marañon said. “In the future something good is coming. We will soon start like its normal. We really have a good team and good management.”

Jose Elmer Porteria, who was also present during the podcast, seconded the AFC Cup all-time leading scorer as he sees a bright future ahead for the club.

“We already moved past the hard part and we are looking forward to playing again,” Porteria said. “Despite all the struggles the past few months, the team still stuck it together. And we also have a good owner in LRY (Leo Rey Yanson) who helped us until he could.”/PN

http://www.panaynews.net/ceres-negros-fc-in-talks-for-new-owner/

Yanson gives up Ceres-Negros ownership

BY NIDA A. BUENAFE

What was known in the football community as Ceres-Negros FC will be no more as the club announced yesterday that a new management and owner will soon take over.

In a statement posted on its social media account, Ceres-Negros Football Club said it is “currently in talks with investors who will be taking over the management and ownership of the club in preparation of the fourth season of the Philippines Football League and the resumption of the campaign in the AFC Cup.”

“As soon as the takeover is completed, the club will no longer be known as Ceres-Negros since our current chairman Leo Rey Yanson will not be involved in any way in the affairs of the club,” the official statement from the club said.

“This is one of the toughest decisions made by Mr. Yanson, whose passion for football was reflected at the way he poured his personal resources and steered the club to unprecedented heights,” the club added.

The announcement deeply saddened the loyal Ceres-Negros fans, who followed the team’s historic journey in Philippine football almost eight years ago.

“I was a bit shocked when I saw the announcement but I truly understand the situation why LRY had to do it,” Jan Gozon, leader of the Ultras Ceres said.

While his loyalty remains with Ceres-Negros FC and LRY, Gozon considers it “a good thing that a new investor will save the club although under a new name”.

As one of those who cheered the loudest for their beloved Ceres-Negros FC game after game, be it at the home pitch in Panaad Stadium or in an away match anywhere in the country, Gozon said he considers every match as a “best moment”

“Win or lose I always cherish it and I will carry it with me ‘till the end,” Gozon said.

He expressed his hopes that the new owner “will have the same heart, vision and passion as LRY and will continue the club’s glory”.

For a football fanatic who sums up Ceres-Negros as “The Pride of Negros”, he feels disheartened with the major changes in the club which he said “will affect the name and branded colors.”

However, he assured that “whoever the new owner will be, as long as its pro-Negros as it was with Ceres, we fans will continue to support”.

And there are those who link the conflict among the Yanson siblings to the decision of LRY to give up the ownership of the football club.

Ems Gelogo of Hinigaran said, “I definitely see a change of ownership of Ceres-Negros FC because of the family squabble. I am deeply saddened by this but it is what it is.”

Among those who chronicled the club’s meteoric rise in Philippine football is Bacolod-based sports photographer Stephen Tan.

“Every game was like history in motion. I am honored to be part of it and I thank LRY and club administrator Daniel Nicholas Golez for tapping me as one of the official photographers of Ceres-Negros,” Tan said.*

https://www.visayandailystar.com/2020/July/09/sportnews1.htm

No formal withdrawal yet from Ceres-Negros – PFL

By

 Adrian Stewart Co

 -

MANILA – Three-time League champions Ceres-Negros FC has not yet formally withdrawn from the 2020 Philippines Football League (PFL), which will tentatively start next month.

PFL commissioner Coco Torre told Panay News over the weekend that the Negros Occidental-based football club has not yet submitted a letter indicating its formal withdrawal from the tournament.

“The PFL cannot issue a comment yet [on Ceres-Negros’ withdrawal] since the team has not yet submitted a formal letter of withdrawal,” Torre said.

Filipino football fans were stunned after reports swirled around that Ceres-Negros is disbanding its powerhouse roster.

The Ceres-Negros was one of the most successful football clubs in the local football scene winning three PFL championships, one Copa Paulino Alcantara gold and another United Football League crown.

Apart from its success locally, Ceres-Negros has also represented the country several times in the Asian Football Confederation Cup, with its highest achievement being ASEAN zonal champions in 2017.

If ever Ceres-Negros’ departure will push through, the PFL will be left with just six teams in Azkals Developmental Team, Global Makati FC, Kaya FC-Iloilo, Mendiola FC 1991, Philippine Air Force FC, and Stallion Laguna FC./PN

https://www.panaynews.net/no-formal-withdrawal-yet-from-ceres-negros-pfl/

Aussie defender back home after Filipino nightmare

Australian centre back Josh Grommen is on the hunt for a new club with the future of the Phillipines Football League season in serious doubt.

BY JOHN DAVIDSON

Grommen made five appearances for Filipino side Ceres-Negros this year, scoring one goal in the AFC Cup, since joining them from Thai club Sukhothai in January before the season was shut down because of the Coronavirus.

The Philippines Football League was supposed to start on March 21, but now is expected to start in July.

The island country has been hit hard by the pandemic, with more than 34,000 cases and over 1,120 deaths.

Grommen was in lockdown for 12 weeks in his 50 square metre apartment in the city of Bacolod, but has now returned to Australia after his club collapsed.

“It’s not the best for the club as Ceres is a big team in Asia." he told The World Game.

“In regards to Philippines football, who knows what will happen as the amount of cases is growing and I don’t know if teams can afford to pay players anymore.

“The virus is pretty bad at the moment in the Philippines as they have been getting around 600 cases a day.”

Founded in 2012, Ceres-Negros are one of the biggest clubs in the south-east Asian country, and have won the Philippines Football League for the past three years in a row.

They went into the qualifying rounds for the Asian Champions League this year but were knocked out in a 2-0 loss to FC Tokyo.

Grommen admits he struggled being in severe lockdown, unable to train and reduced to doing stair runs and core strength in his apartment building in a bid to stay fit. But the 23-year-old is now glad to be home.

“I just got out of quarantine here in Sydney so it’s good to have freedom after being in lockdown in the Philippines for three months,” he said.

“The first two months we weren’t allowed to leave our apartment unless we went to buy groceries so we were pretty much in prison.

I had my missus with me at the time so it was good she kept me company, although some days we argued as you would expect being in a small place.”

The centre back, who spent time with Brisbane Roar’s reserves as a youngster, is now a free agent but is unsure where his next move will be.

“At the moment I’m looking into clubs back in south-east Asia such as Thailand, maybe even India, but with the whole virus situation it’s currently impossible to go overseas as borders are currently closed till maybe next year,” he said.

“I’ve been looking into NPL in Brisbane just to stay match-fit till things get better.”

Born and raised in Brisbane, Grommen came through the Queensland Academy of Sport and the Roar’s youth team.

He has represented the Azkals at Under-22 and Under-23 national level and has had spells playing in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/aussie-defender-back-home-after-filipino-nightmare

Adios, Ceres-Negros?

By

 Adrian Stewart Co

Filipino football fans were stunned on Friday morning after reports swirled around that defending Philippines Football League (PFL) champions Ceres-Negros FC is disbanding its powerhouse roster.

It was 4:29 a.m. of Friday when Filipino Football broke the news on the dissolution of the Negros Occidental-based football club and with some of its players moving out.

Upon reading the tweet, we asked around those who have knowledge on the matter and indeed disbanding the Ceres-Negros ahead of the 2020 PFL season is on the table.

However, we learned from a separate source that the Philippine Football Federation is doing its best to convince the Busmen management to reconsider its decision but nothing is close so far.

Arguably, Ceres-Negros was one of the most famous squads in the PFL with its huge fan base in Negros Occidental and their regional rivalry with Kaya Futbol Club-Iloilo was the most anticipated match.

The Ceres-Negros was one of the most successful football clubs in the local football scene winning three PFL championships, one Copa Paulino Alcantara gold and another United Football League crown.

Apart from its success locally, the Busmen have also represented the country several times in the Asian Football Confederation Cup, with its highest achievement was reaching the ASEAN zonal finals.

Among the players in Ceres-Negros roster were national men’s football team mainstays Stephan Schrock, Roland Muller, Sean Kane, Mike Ott, Manny Ott, Jose Elmer Porteria, Dylan de Bruycker, Junior Munoz, Jeffrey Christiaens, and Dennis Villanueva.

The Busmen also have a loaded cast of foreign players in Spanish striker Bienvenido Marañon, Senegalese Robert Lopez Mendy, Spanish Manuel Super Herrera, and Japanese Takashi Odawara.

If ever Ceres-Negros’ departure will push through, the PFL will be left with just six teams in Azkals Developmental Team, Global Makati FC, Kaya FC-Iloilo, Mendiola FC 1991, Philippine Air Force FC, and Stallion Laguna FC.

If there is one fake news I can write, I am hoping that this is the one since the local football scene will not be complete with the absence of the Ceres-Negros./PN

https://www.panaynews.net/adios-ceres-negros/?fbclid=IwAR3eFXXPSt8OUWJ_cKdJADXk4zPFe7zQgbxtSGWg2RfWF3rL3OMVl97oI6o

News update Ceres-Negros

NEWS UPDATE: Amid reports of disbandment, there was no formal withdrawal yet from three-time champions Ceres-Negros FC, a Philippines Football League (PFL) official told Panay News on Friday. Via Adrian Stewart Co/PN

Ceres-Negros withdrawing from PFL ?

Ceres-Negros FC seems to have folded and will not compete in PFL ?



A source told : "Some in PFF trying to salvage and find a new sponsor but with current situation that looks dim."

To be updated....

James Younghusband Announces His Retirement From Football

Philippine Men’s National Team and Ceres-Negros FC midfielder James Younghusband announced his retirement from football today, at age 33.

“Time to say goodbye. Thank you for the amazing memories. I have loved playing this game. Thank you to my family, bosses, managers, coaches, team mates, opponents and all my supporters who have been part of my professional career. I feel lucky to have experienced wonderful memories and thankful for every moment of my time with my clubs and country,” said Younghusband in a statement.

The midfielder made his Philippine debut with the Under-23 National Team in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games that was held in Bacolod in 2005 together with younger brother Phil.

Younghusband went on to play for the Men’s National Team for a total of 101 appearances having scored 12 goals between 2006 until 2019. He made his last appearance for the country against Kyrgyz Republic in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 in January 2019.

Among his feats for the country were the equalizer against Laos in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup Qualifiers, the win over Vietnam in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, the vital away goal against Mongolia in the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 Qualifiers in 2011, the comeback against DPR Korea in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in 2016, and the win against Tajikistan in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Qualifiers in 2018.

He scored his 12th goal for the country in the 2-1 loss against Vietnam in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 semi-final second leg at the My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Younghusband also had an illustrious career at club level. A product of the Chelsea FC Youth Academy in England, he played for Philippines Football League clubs FC Meralco Manila, Davao Aguilas FC, and Ceres-Negros FC. He capped off his professional career with the PFL and Copa Paulino Alcantara double last year for the busmen.

“We thank James Younghusband for his valuable contributions to the growth of the sport in the country,” PFF president Mariano Araneta stated.

“May his influence on and off the pitch inspire all young players who aspire to play for the country,” PFF general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes added.

http://pff.org.ph/2020/06/25/james-younghusband-announces-his-retirement-from-football/