An annual Sports and Music Festival in Manchester, scheduled for the weekend of 16-18 May 2014 at Salford Sports Village, will feature co-ed slowpitch softball for the first time, and the tournament is expected to attract entries from around the UK and Europe.
The festival organisers, Bthere Events, will deliver the softball tournament in conjunction with BaseballSoftballUK and the Manchester Softball League.
Eleven other sports will also be involved in the Festival, including dodgeball, lacrosse, netball, Gaelic football, rugby and ultimate frisbee.
Play will not be continuous as in normal softball tournaments so that players can enjoy other aspects of the Festival between games. The softball tournament will be run with three competition levels over the course of Saturday and Sunday, with prizes for winners, runners-up and plate winners at each level.
Features
In addition to the sports tournaments, live music and DJs going late into the night, the Festival will feature sports events shown on a giant screen including the FA Cup Final, independent stalls serving food from around the world, a range of exotic cocktails at the Tiki Beach Bar, a Pimms area with a great view of the sports pitches, a Red Bull wigwam and a hospitality marquee.
The fancy dress theme for the 2014 Festival will be Beach Party, and various celebrities from the worlds of sport and music are expected to attend.
Camping will be available on site, including in special Tipis based on a Native American design, and family and female-only campsites will be set up in quieter areas.
Benefits
BSUK Development Manager Luis Arrevillagas, who has been working closely with the Festival organisers, said: “The event is something new for softball, to be part of an event run really professionally, with big stages with music, sponsors, good food etc.
“The win for us and for the Manchester Softball League is that the sport will get a lot of exposure,” Luis added. “The Festival is a big event here in Manchester and people will travel from all over to come to it. The MSL will be able to use their volunteers and umpires as well as entering teams, and will be linked with a high profile event.”
Team entry
Entry is now open at a basic cost of £15 per player (£225 per team for a 15-player squad). A team entry plus camping package costs £525 per team (£35 per player).
For more information, visit: http://www.mcrfestival.com/sports/softball/.