Welcome to... Tontuga

[abu645]

Tontuga is a strange place. It's African but it's not African. It's an African island but it doesn't feel Iike an African island. It's a developed nation separated by a narrow sea from a series of third world nations.

When you arrive in Tontuga you don't feel like you are in Africa at all. Well apart from the tropical weather conditions. It's an island divided by a dormant volcano. It's a place where imperial invaders have more than left their mark. It's an island that was settled simultaneously by three European monarchies without each other knowing.

Landing in the north you will feel like you have arrived in the Balearic or Canary Islands. Arriving in the eastern province will make you feel like you have landed in the Dutch East Indies. Disembarking to the west or from the south has a much more British feel. The island is a unique fusion of distinctly different cultures shaken together over nearly 400 years.

The names of the first British province, Elizabeth, date back to the first settlers. It was nearly 100 years before the second province was established at Esk in the south of the island. Many of the town and city names in Esk are related to the islands famous little elephants. Meanwhile Dutch explorers established settlements on the East coast creating the Tontuga province from which the nation took its name on independence. The final settlement came from Spanish explorers in the north of the island.

Various disputes and fiery battles took place over the history of the island, most notably the Battle of Trinidade in 1841 at which the British provinces were famously beaten by the charges under the instruction of now famous Spanish General Patista. The island remained as separate colonies until the amicable creation of Tontuga as a independent nation in 1960. Since then the nation has prospered as a trading nation

Tontuga has a very rich footballing history with the first provincial tournaments dating back over a hundred years before independence. Those tournaments are still being played today alongside the national competitions which makes for a packed calendar.

[tenthreeleader]

Welcome to FMS -- sounds like you have got an interesting concept here. Looking forward to seeing more!

[abu645]

This story will report on footballing issues from Tontuga but this post explains what Tontuga is and how it works.

Tontuga is a fictional island nation the size of Ireland that lies approximately where Sao Tome and Principe should be in the Atlantic Ocean. It is made up of 4 distinct provinces, two have British roots, one Spanish and one Dutch. Together they amalgamated in 1960 to become an independent nation. Provincial football tournaments in Tontuga date back much further (the first began in 1905).

The Season runs from August to May starting with the provincial tournaments and the Independence Cup. National Divisions start in October/November.

Tournaments:

National 1st Division (Established 1960 - 16 teams - 30 matches)

National 2nd Division (Established 1963 - 16 teams - 30 matches)

National 3rd Division (Established 1981 - 20 teams - 38 matches)

National 4th Division (Established 2014 - 20 teams - 38 matches)

National Independence Cup (Established 1960 - All 72 teams in knock out cup)

Provincial Tournaments:

Elizabeth Province Plate (Established 1905 - 24 teams in 4 groups of 6. Group winners advance to Semi Finals)

Esk Provincial Cup (Established 1920 - 16 teams in 2 groups of 8. Top two in each group advance to Semi Finals)

Oosten Tontuga Beker (Dutch Province - Established 1935 - 16 teams in 2 groups of 8. Top two in each group advance to Semi Finals)

Spanish Province Cup (Established 1935 - 16 teams in 2 groups of 8. Top two in each group advance to Semi Finals)

Other:

Super Cup for winners of 1st Division and Independence Cup

4 Provinces Shield (Pre-season knockout tournament for the four winners of the Provincial tournaments in the previous season)

Grand 4 Cup (Pre-season knockout tournament for the 4 most famous teams in the Dutch province: Leopoldsburg clubs Leopold Petrol and Leopold City plus Celestehaven clubs Celeste Spiders and Celestehaven Oranje).

Tontuga College Cup (Tournament for the 8 Under age teams that compete in the national leagues - 8 team tournament organised into 2 groups of 4. Top two in each group qualify for semi finals)

[abu645]

Not so grand

Tontuga Daily Post - 6th August 2022

Franklin Speaks

With the kick off for the new football season just around the corner, let me point out to you the sheer ridiculousness of the following concept - the self style Grand 4 Cup. What does Grand signify to you? Grand means many things: great, magnificent, sumptuous, stately or rich to name but a few meanings. Therefore by extension it certainly does not mean sub standard or lower division.

Why do I point this out to you? Well of course today marks the start of the Grand 4 Pre-season cup competition. I'm merely pointing out though that the four participants really aren't that grand at all. For those uninitiated of you or those without a long memory, there was a time where Dutch province football was dominated by four teams: Celestehaven, Celeste Spiders, Leopold Petrol and Leopold City. They were so dominant that they became known locally as the grand old 4. They were so dominant that they created their own special competition that excluded other teams.

Why is this an opinion piece? I should point out that these 4 really aren't so grand at all. I can lay these facts before you:

1) In the last 6 seasons, only Petrol have won the Oosten Beker. That was the only occasion that any of this grand four qualified for the final.

2) More galling though: None of this so called grand four are actually in the Tontugan first division any more. Leopold Petrol were relegated last season and join City and Celestehaven in division two. Spiders are so bad that they have been relegated two seasons in a row and now lie in division four. For the four biggest clubs in the Dutch province, and four of the biggest clubs in the country this is unthinkable. To ram the underachievement home: these clubs share 14 national first division titles between them and a huge 57 Oosten Beker! Meanwhile the non-grand branded Gerritsberg, Batavia Coal, Sons and Melden Railway are all working away in the top flight without any attention or grand titles.

Carry on your little tournament by all means but stop pretending that you need such a grandiose name: from now on I shall know it as the Inadequate 4 Cup.

Ulysses Franklin

[LewisQ]

I'm loving this premise and story, hope you carry on.

[abu645]

4 Provinces Weekend

National Radio 5.11.2023

It's now 7.15 and time to cross to Toddward Sanchez at National Sport for the first Morning Bulletin. Todd, we are in for a great footballing weekend aren't we?

TS: Of course! It's a big weekend in Tontugan football, two days when all other pursuits will definitely take a back seat to regional matters as all four provincial competitions draw to a close ahead of the national divisions which start next week.

Saturdays matches are going to be tasty and entertaining affairs as there is plenty of bile between the teams involved. The Spanish Cup is a match up of the two biggest teams in the province, Leones and Soria. Soria are coming off a strong first division season but the New Lions of Leon have strengthened greatly after their promotion from division two.

Meanwhile in the late game a sellout is anticipated at Princes Park for the Oosten Cup Final. It's a Leopoldsburg Derby between City and Petrol. City are in their first final for 14 years whilst Petrol, the provinces most successful side are back for the first time since winning in 2017. City pipped Petrol to the second division title last season but Petrol are the only team in the competition with a 100% record so far.

Tomorrow Eskmouth Oil will be the big favourites against the Sparrows from West Esk in the Esk Province Competition. The Sparrows will be hoping that their Somali striker Warsame can help them pull off a surprise result.

The real story may be brewing over in Elizabeth province where College side Electors from New Hanover have battled through to their first final but are faced with provincial power houses Kensington Alliance, the most storied of Elizabethan clubs.

[abu645]

The Boot – TV – 5.11.2023

... The real story this weekend is national third division Electors qualifying for their first final against Kensington Alliance. Let's speak to our Kensington correspondent Phillips McAllister who has been spending the week with the team ahead of their big day out at Independence Stadium.

PM: founded over a century ago, in 1920, the grandly titled Electors College of New Hanover have been competing in the Elizabeth Plate for 103 years without a final appearance until this season.

As their name suggests, they are one of Tontuga's eight collegiate teams who compete in their own college competition as well as the provincials and nationals and as with all of the college teams, they have a limited shelf life thanks to their self imposed age limit of 21.

In January of this year, Electors supporters saw their beloved pink and purples propping up the fourth division table. They were staring down the barrel of their worst ever finish. 72nd out of 72. That was until voracious manager Lasset Harrison unleashed his new intake; a stellar new breed of 16 & 17 year olds who reinvigorated the team. Boosted by even more youthful enthusiasm they surged up the leagues. Goals from Jesus Lannister, a striker signed from Leopold City coupled with a new clean sheet machine of a back four populated by Eskrian Harrison, Immediate Cardoso, Zalabar Veld and finally, arguably the most talented of them all, Castro Fredericks, the side embarked on an epic winning run, stealing into, and ultimately winning the 4th division playoffs overcoming National Barracks and then Warki Africans over 2 legs.

This season saw the side continue where it left off despite being placed in a competitive Elizabeth Plate group. The key to qualification was the away win over Queenstown Royals at Bess Field. Fredericks towered above his marker to score from an early free kick. With their backs to the wall, they clung on against their more experienced rivals. Electors survived a defeat against Elizabeth in the final match to qualify for the semi final against fellow minnows Bethlehem Youth. A comfortable 2-0 home win at the Ridings secured Electors their shot at glory.

This all sounds rosy. Doesn't it? Well not quite. Harrison and Cardoso are gone. Sold to Leopold City. Veld and talisman Fredericks are gone. Sold to Leopold Petrol. The clean sheet machine has been ransacked by two moneybags first division teams. This is the life of a college team, sell the players when they are at their best. But really? Really sell so close to their first shot at provincial glory?

Confidence amongst the playing group remains strong. Manager Lasset points to the strike partnership of Spinters and Lannister and the midfield triangle of Alvarez, Luther and Johnson. Personally I have my doubts that they can keep pace with the Old Alliance from Kensington.