ByDanny Caro, Danny Caro
Stuart Lustigman has described the Maccabi Masters as “an absolute success story” after confirming that a record number of teams would participate in season 2012/13.
The MMFL chairman this week welcomed three new teams that takes the league up to 17, with seven lining up in Division One and 10 in Division Two.
MSFL old boys Waldaf Town are joining the Masters along with Southgate Harmen, who have dropped a team from the JC MSFL. The Harmen team will be managed by Jonathan Hirshler and Paul Gold and feature a core of players who formed the original Harmen team 11 years ago.
Faithfold have withdrawn from the league, while Ashlodge and Clayhall Park Casuals have merged to form St John’s Wood in Division Two.
With preparations in place for a 14th season of MMFL, Lustigman said: “Masters football has proved to be a real innovation and I’m delighted. I think it’s an endorsement of what we’re doing in terms of making it user-friendly.
“We play on good pitches, mainly 3G, with good facilities, which contribute to good quality football and we have a system in place to ensure teams don’t pull out of matches if they are short of players.
“We also have a very good supply from the referees panel and I think the officials appreciate the fact they don’t suffer the same level of abuse as in men’s football.”